Ranma: Evolution
by Ballad
Summary: As Ranma starts to have dreams of a certain “Feudal Past,” things start to get very complicated when these so called 'dreams' are actually memories of his past life....over 500 years ago....
1. Chapter 1: It Begins

**Chapter 1**

* * *

Pitch black. Total darkness. He tried to run, to find a way out, but his feet were taking him nowhere. He looked frantically to his left, his right. But there was nothing. 

Fire erupted suddenly, right in front of his eyes. He readied his stance immediately, sensing danger. Screams filled the darkness. **"Demon!"** they cried. He slowly shifted his stance, looking for the source of danger.

People started to come out of the darkness, from the fire. He lowered his stance a bit, looking on in confusion. These people were dressed quite oddly, as if they came from Japan's ancient past….

A spear suddenly flew at him from the corner of his eye. He dodged it just in time. Another spear flew at him. And then another. And then another. He started to run, but more people came from the fire, blocking his exit, screaming **"demon!"** over and over again. His heart started to race. Were these people the enemy?

He was about to strike until he saw children. He looked on in shock as women and children came from the fire, cradling each other in fear, looking in his direction. He looked for the source of these people's fear, but he couldn't find it. When the men crept closer with spears and pitch forks raised, they were looking at _him_.

"I'm not your enemy!" he wanted to cry, but he couldn't seem to speak. Suddenly, a cold and round object came into his raised fist. He opened it to find a pinkish-purple orb, hanging on some sort of chain. He looked at it in confusion, yet a wash of déjà vu came upon him. Why did this object seem so familiar to him?

He gasped in horror as he saw his hand that held the fragile object.

He had claws.

'_What the--?'_ he thought, frantically. More spears came upon him which immediately broke him from his thoughts. He ran through the fire, still clutching the pinkish-purple orb in his fist.

A massive tree suddenly came into view. He dodged once more as people threw more spears and pitch forks at him. As he was about to jump past the tree, he heard somebody scream….

"_**INU-YASHA!!!!!"**_

He looked to see who had screamed, and there she was, only a few yards away from him. A beautiful woman who had rage, hate, and betrayal in her eyes. Why did he know her somehow?

A sharp pain pierced his heart as he was slammed into the tree within seconds. The fragile orb flung from his finger tips and hit the ground with a ring. He looked down in confusion, seeing the arrow protruding from his chest.

The woman staggered to him; blood trailed in her wake. She knelt down in pain and retrieved the orb. When she looked up, horror filled his eyes as he saw her face more clearly.

"Kikyou…." his mouth had spoken.

'_**AKANE!?'**_ his mind had screamed.


	2. Chapter 2: Akane and Akari

**Chapter 2**

* * *

Ranma awoke around midnight, sweaty and cold. His body raced with adrenaline even though he felt extremely tired and disoriented. Ranma closed his eyes tightly, trying to calm his racing heart. 

He scratched his head as he tried to remember the dream he just had. He shrugged his shoulders to himself when he couldn't come up with anything, so he got up to get a hot bath. Ranma was utterly freezing and he felt like he was coming down with a fever or something, though it should be impossible to be so cold, since it was ninety degrees in humidity this night.

As he readied the bath, he looked in the mirror and was surprised by his reflection. His face was stone white and felt clammy to the touch. Black circles protruded from under his eyes, and his eyes themselves were red and puffy….

As if he was crying….

"Whatever," Ranma said to himself as he rolled his eyes.

When the bath was full to its capacity and wonderfully hot, he jumped right in and was immediately greeted to the wonderful sensation of his muscles relaxing and his mind unwinding. He sighed as he sank deeper in to the hot water, smiling in pure pleasure.

After a few minutes, Ranma's mind began to go else were and he felt himself sinking deeper and deeper into sleep. In the back of his mind, though, he continued to wonder about his dream. He was pretty sure he had dreams like that before, because this dream felt all too familiar with him. But just like the last few dreams, he couldn't remember much of anything anymore.

Only glimpses of his dreams could Ranma remember. There was darkness….fire….but nothing much else, really. He didn't know what else to make of them. He was at a lost, and if he kept having these dreams, he would certainly wear down and grow weaker. Ranma could not afford that, especially when he almost lost Akane when he battled Saffron a few months ago.

Ranma sank deeper and deeper in to dream land as he thought of Akane. Her smile, her voice, her scent….she was utterly beautiful, said and done, though he would never really admit that aloud.

As he continued to dream about Akane, fire erupted suddenly around her. Ranma gasped in horror as she just continued to smile. She held out her hand to him, and her face suddenly became distorted and wicked.

"_**Come with me to hell…."**_ she crooned.

'_What the hell!?' _Ranma screamed in his mind. Fire started to singe her clothing, and he finally realized that she was wearing weird robes of white and red. Her hair, which was cut short, grew long again, like when they first met. The fire started to eat Akane alive, and she just kept smiling, as if she didn't feel a thing.

'_AKANE!!'_ He tried to scream out, but his body would not allow him to speak at all. And as she just kept smiling blindly at him, her hand still stretched out towards him, fire took hold of her whole form, and she started to turn to dust.

Ranma, panicking, ran straight through the fire and grabbed her hand. Immediately she took hold of him and he suddenly felt at peace and entranced. Akane hugged him tightly as she crooned in his ear.

"**Come with me to hell…."**

Ranma nodded in silent agreement, though something was terribly wrong with this picture. He tried to brake free from her grasp, but he could not. Akane would not want this from him, could not want this from him! He tried to look at her face, but it was useless.

"Inu-Yasha!!!"

Another voice rang out from the darkness. He felt his eyes opening, though Akane still had a strong hold on him.

"_**Inu-Yashaaaa!!!!"**_

The other voice again. So familiar, yet so distant. He finally opened his eyes wide and he looked around frantically. And there, under a tree with snake-like creatures wrapped around her frail form, was her….

**'_AKARI!?'_**

"**KAGOME!!!!"** his voice rang out: a voice so different from his, yet not so different at all. He went to run to her, to save her, but before he could reach her, his world went in to the darkness again….


	3. Chapter 3: Kikyou and Kagome

**Chapter 3**

* * *

"_**Is that girl more important to you then me….?"**_

* * *

Ranma yawned loudly as he sat in class, hardly being able to hear the teacher instructing algebra. His eyes started to droop and when he was almost asleep, a note would fly at his face, startling him awake.

'Wake up, dummy!' It would always read.

He scowled at Akane, who sat in front of the class. She scowled at him back before turning her attention back to the teacher. He rolled his eyes and turned his attention to the window.

Ranma wanted to be outside to think. It was a beautiful, hot and humid day, just the way he liked it. As the teacher droned on about equations and the like, Ranma's mind began to wonder once again.

He blushed furiously when he suddenly remembered what happened this morning. He supposedly screamed in his sleep when he fell asleep in the bathtub, and he woke everyone up in the household. And when they all came to his supposed 'rescue,' they got a close up view of his body….naked.

Akane hotly asked him what the hell was going on with him on their way to school. Ranma couldn't give her an answer, and she didn't push him about it any further. He knew he would have to tell her about the dreams he was starting to have sooner or later, but they didn't make much sense to him at the moment, so he didn't feel like trying to explain them to her.

The dream he had this morning had been more vivid then ever before, and he was starting to remember them easily. Like all the other dreams, there was fire and darkness. But Akane was in this one again, and so was….Akari….

Why was he thinking about Akari? He hardly new the girl, yet here he sat, thinking about her. Ranma suddenly felt eyes upon him and he immediately looked in the direction of where Akane was sitting. She looked back at him with a worried expression upon her face.

He slightly smiled at her and then he looked away, back in to his thoughts.

Kikyou, and….Kagome. He called Akane, Kikyou, and Akari….Kagome. Where did these names come from? He never heard of them in his life, so why did they come up in his dreams? Why did he shout it to them when he knew those weren't their names?

Something bugged Ranma in the back of his mind. Another name was said….something Akari had called him. He tried to remember what the name was, but he couldn't get a good grasp on it. It slipped away in his mind right before he could reach it, and it rolled on the back of his tongue teasingly, challenging him to remember it.

"Mr. Saotome, would you like to share your thoughts with the rest of the class?"

Ranma's thoughts were broken when he was jolted back to reality by his math teacher, Mr. Tanaka.

"Sorry, sir." Ranma said, grumpily. A few kids snickered at him from the front of the class, Akane not being one of them. Her eyes narrowed in worry at him as she continued to stare at his face.

A wash of déjà vu hit him as he stared back at her. Her hair became long, flowing in the wind, with the weird robes she wore in his dreams….

"Mr. Saotome! I asked you a question!"

Ranma again was jolted back to reality. "What?" He asked, innocently.

"I teach you math because it is a fundamental value for your future, Mr. Saotome. And with you not paying attention just says you do not care about math or my teaching, correct?"

Ranma looked at him in confusion. What the heck was he talking about?

Before the teacher could go on with his little "rampage," the bell rang, ending the class session. Ranma was about to jump up and run for freedom, but the teacher held out his hand, silencing his movements.

"Read and practice chapters 11, 12, and 13 for tomorrow, students. And you," he pointed at Ranma, "will see me right now."

As the class emptied, the teacher strolled up to his desk, motioning Ranma to stand in front.

"Ranma, you are a promising student, but you have been acting quite strange lately," the teacher exclaimed with a hint of concern in his eyes.

"Sorry, Mr. Tanaka. It won't happen again," Ranma lied, trying to act as innocent he could.

"Is there anything you would like to talk to me about, Ranma?" Mr. Tanaka continued. "I may be your teacher, but I am here for you, Ranma, if you would like to talk about anything that is troubling you."

Mr. Tanaka was a nice and handsome man, in most cases, and his eyes spoke only the truth to Ranma. He did care about him, as he did all his students. It hurt Mr. Tanaka greatly when one of his students would fail his class, or not do satisfactory work.

"It's nothing, really," Ranma reassured him once again. "I am just having a hard time sleeping, is all. There is nothing for you to worry about, Mr. Tanaka."

Ranma tried to be as polite as possible this time. Guilt gripped at his heart when Ranma was mean to him earlier. He always thought Mr. Tanaka was a rude man, but he was just rude in a way that said he cared about you as a student.

"Remember, Ranma, if there is anything you need or if you just want to talk, I am here," Mr. Tanaka stated, smiling gently at Ranma.

"Thank you, Mr. Tanaka," Ranma said truthfully. He bowed slightly at his teacher and then walked out of the classroom.

As Ranma scratched his head, deep in thought, he was once again jolted from his thinking as he was greeted by Akane, who leaned against the opposite wall casually.

"Oh….hi, Akane…." he was about to speak, but she silenced him with a raised hand.

"Ranma, we need to talk."


	4. Chapter 4: Visions Unfold

**Chapter 4**

* * *

Ranma and Akane walked home in silence. He patiently waited for her to talk, like she said they needed to in the hall. As the house came into view, though, and she still just walked silently ahead of him, he ran up to her and blocked her path. 

"Well?" he asked while crossing his arms across his chest.

"Well, what?" Akane said, annoyed.

Ranma started to lose his patience. "You wanted to talk, remember?"

Akane turned away from his glare and walked over to a nearby bench. She motioned him to sit down beside her.

Reluctantly, after a moment's hesitation, he sat down beside her. He stared at her for quite sometime, wondering when she was going to get the mallet out and throttle him for no reason.

"You've been doing that a lot, lately," she started as she stared at the ground.

"Eh?"

Akane looked him in the eye for a moment before turning away. "You've been staring at me a lot, did you know that?"

Ranma looked at her in confusion. He has been staring at her? "What? I have?"

Akane nodded her head once. She turned her attention to the blue sky, obviously lost in her thoughts.

A pregnant pause came in between them. Ranma fiddled with his fingers as his heart began to race. Was she mad at him?

"Ranma, what is happening to you?" Akane asked, still focusing her attention towards the sky.

"What do you mean?"

Akane sighed, slowly losing her patience. "Have you've not noticed it? You talk in your sleep every night, Ranma. I can't sleep because of it, and neither can your father."

Ranma rolled his eyes as she brought Genma Saotome into their conversation. "What does he have to do about anything?"

"He sleeps on the couch now, and Nabiki is ready to kill you. And so am I," Akane chuckled, darkly. "You talk so much, and sometimes you yell. You call out….other girl's names…."

Ranma was taken a back. "Uhh…."

Akane eyed him hotly, but then she turned away. "I don't know what the names are, I could never hear them too clearly, but they sound like female names, if you ask me."

Ranma cringed as her tone got more deadly with him. "Look, Akane, I don't know what you're--"

"If there are other women, just say it!" Akane bellowed, clinching her hands into fists.

"Wha!?" Ranma squeaked out, instinctively holding his hands in front of his face for protection.

When she didn't throw the punch, he lowered his arms a tiny bit. When he saw tears form in her eyes, he dropped his guard completely.

"Look, Akane, there are no other females, or whatever," Ranma started to say, scratching his head in embarrassment. "I've just been having very strange dreams lately, is all."

Akane eyed him viciously from the corner of her eye. "Define 'strange.'"

"Err…." Ranma started to sweat under her gaze. "Look, I can hardly remember the dreams. All I know is that they are pointless and stupid. They only contain fire and darkness; nightmares I can't control."

Akane's eyes still held anger within her deep blue orbs. "You still haven't answered my question from before. Why have you've been staring at me the way you do, then?"

"I've been staring at you?" Ranma questioned yet once again, idiotically.

Akane rolled her eyes. She desperately was trying to hold back the tears that threatened to pool down her face. "We just talked about that, idiot! I just asked you this question a couple of minutes ago!"

Akane calmed her self down and was silent for a moment before she spoke again. "All day in class you have been today."

"I was?" Ranma scratched his head, trying to recall….

"And yesterday, and the day before that. Ranma, ever since these so-called 'dreams' started to happen, you look at me funny." Akane looked at him fully in the eye now, all anger and sadness gone.

Ranma looked away from her intense gaze. "I didn't know that."

Akane got furious. "What do you mean, 'I didn't know that'!?"

"I don't know, Akane, alright!? I don't know why I was staring at you, because I didn't know that I was!!" Ranma bellowed back at her.

Another pregnant pause came in between them as they stared each other down angrily.

Suddenly, Ranma saw Akane's hair grow longer, her face sadden, and her eyes turn to brown. She was wearing the strange robes again, and she spoke to him softly.

Her words were jumbled and he couldn't hear her too well, but he was happy to be there, beside her.

"Ranma?"

A voice in the distance, and he didn't seem to care who was calling. He sat silently next to this woman with much affection in his heart, calling out her name so sweetly and softly….

"_**RANMA!!"**_

A bunch of stars filled his vision as he was knocked back to reality by the wrath of Akane and her mallet. He rubbed the bump on his head with tears of pain in his eyes.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR!?"

"WHO IS KIKYOU!?"

"Eh?"

"ANSWER ME, DAMMIT! WHO IS KIKYOU!?"

Ranma contemplated for a moment. Kikyou….the name was so familiar. And then it hit him as another mallet came crashing down upon his already bruised head.

"WILL YOU STOP THAT!?"

"NOT UNTIL YOU ANSWER ME!!"

Ranma rubbed the second bump that formed on his head. "Look, Kik—I mean, Akane, what the hell are you talking about!?"

Akane tightened her hands around the mallet even more malignantly. "You were doing it again! You were staring at me and you had this weird look in your eyes! And then when I questioned your mental state, you looked me straight in the eye and called me 'Kikyou!' WHO THE HELL IS KIKYOU, RANMA!?"

Ranma got up from the bench slowly as she raised her hands in defiance; the mallet looking even more monstrous then ever.

"Look, Akane, I swear I didn't--"

"**WRONG ANSWER!!!!!"** Akane screamed to the heavens as the mallet came crashing down upon his forehead one last time, and then he felt himself flying: She booted him yet again….

"_**IDIOT!!"**_ He heard her scream as he flew further and further away from her. He folded his arms as he flew, trying to understand what just happened as his head and butt throbbed in pain.

When they stared angrily at each other, her form changed….shifted. The same woman who he saw within the fire last night and this morning overshadowed Akane. He tried to remember what happened in this….'vision,' but once again, Ranma was at a loss for answers.

Cold water greeted him head on as he flew all the way back to the high school and in to the schools pool. His head hit the bottom, knocking him out for a few seconds. When he finally regained consciousness, he swam to the surface and gasped for breath.

"_Stupid, thick as a brick--"_ Ranma muttered to himself as he climbed himself out of the pool, now in his female form.

"_**Akane, idiot!"**_ He bellowed to the sky.


	5. Chapter 5: Contemplation

**Chapter 5**

* * *

Akane was angry. Who was Kikyou? And why should _she_ care, anyway?

* * *

Akane slowly walked home after booting Ranma in to the clouds. She felt a little sorry for him afterwards. _But just a little bit._

"**I'm hooome!"** Akane yelled as she opened the front door. She was immediately greeted by the wonderful smell of Kasumi's cooking.

"Why, hello, Akane! You're just in time for dinner!" Kasumi smiled warmly as she made her way out in to the hallway. "Where is Ranma?"

Akane forced a smile on her face. "He….is busy at the moment. He'll probably be a little late."

Kasumi narrowed her eyes in worry. "Oh, my! Well, I sure do hope he can make it back in time. Ramen is his favorite!"

Akane rolled her eyes and chuckled darkly as she remembered where she actually booted Ranma. "I'm sure _she'll_ make it back just in time."

* * *

Ranma marched home, soaking wet in his female form, cussing all the while. She was angry in her steps; only wanting to race home and yell at Akane at the top of her lungs. What was _with _that girl, anyway!?

Ranma slowed a bit, and suddenly she stopped. She looked up in to the sky and sighed.

'_Akane has every right to be mad at me, I suppose,'_ Ranma thought. She couldn't stop the dreams, though. And now they were turning into visions.

"Who can I talk to about this?" Ranma said out loud to herself in her girly voice. She scratched her now red hair, obviously deep in thought.

"Mr. Tendou?" Ranma thought at first. _'Maybe he can help? But what could he know?'_

Ranma immediately threw away the possibility of asking her father. Genma would only make things worse.

And Akane….

Well, she already tried that, and Akane abused her for it. But Ranma knew she would have to talk to her sooner or later….tonight was a good possibility.

And then there was Mr. Tanaka. Ranma lightened up a bit. Maybe she can talk to Mr. Tanaka tomorrow! He might have a solution to this whole mess….or at least confirm that Ranma was slowly going insane.


	6. Chapter 6: Kikyou and Akane

**Chapter 6**

* * *

A small knock on her door jolted Akane out of her studies. "Yes?" she asked, hoping it wasn't Ranma.

There was a small pause. "….it's Ranma."

Akane hissed in anger. "Go away, Ranma. I'm busy studying."

There was another small pause. "….look, Akane, about today…."

"There is nothing to be sorry about, Ranma," Akane said angrily.

This took Ranma back in surprise. "Wha--?"

Akane rolled her eyes. "Look, Ranma, I am sorry I loss my temper. I shouldn't have done that, alright?"

Ranma tried to open the door but it was locked. "Akane, can you let me in for a moment?"

Akane closed her school books and walked to the door. She unlocked it and let him in.

"Thanks," he muttered.

Akane walked over to her bed and sat down. Ranma took the seat at her desk.

"So?" Akane asked him impatiently.

Ranma gulped, but he tried to stay stoic as possible. "Look, Akane, about today…."

Akane was about to say something, but Ranma held up his hand to silence her. She deliberately kept her mouth shut.

"Look, I am sorry. I can't stop these dreams that I keep having. But I assure you, I don't know anyone by the names of Kikyou or Kagome…."

Akane hissed in anger at the last name. She clamped a hand over her mouth in surprise, not knowing why she felt such anger and jealousy towards that last name.

Ranma noticed this. "Do you know a Kagome?"

Akane shook her head. "No, no. But I just felt…._anger _towards that name for some reason. Maybe I knew a Kagome once when I was a kid and greatly disliked her. I am fine now, though. Really."

Ranma eyed her suspiciously, but then he continued when she wouldn't say anything else.

"Well, today I had a vision," Ranma stated truthfully. Akane edged forward. "When I looked at you in class, and when we were sitting on the bench before you…._well, you know_….your hair grew longer."

"My hair did what!?" Akane asked, bewildered, while instinctively touching her hair.

"Like when we first met," Ranma exclaimed, matter-of-factly. "And then your eyes turned brown, and you wore weird robes…."

Akane shook her head in amazement. "What do you think they mean?"

Ranma sighed. "I have no idea, but they all seem so _familiar_…."

Akane looked puzzled for a moment. She put her finger under her chin, trying to come up with a solution.

"Tell me about the dreams, then," she asked after a moment.

Ranma looked up at her and sighed. "I hardly remember most of them, but…."

So he told her about the dreams, carefully leaving Akari out of them. Ranma didn't want Akane to get the wrong impression.

After he was done telling her them, Akane was in complete shock.

"I asked you to go to hell? _**With me!?**_" Akane screeched, trying to grab a hold of her temper.

Ranma winced at her tone. "Don't get all crazy on me, Akane! They are just stupid dreams! Nothing else!"

Akane turned away from him. She sighed as if in defeat. "Yah, just stupid dreams….nothing else."

Ranma put an arm on her shoulder. "It's going to be okay. I am going to talk to Mr. Tanaka tomorrow after class. I want to see what he has to say about 'em."

Akane turned around and bonked Ranma over the head with her fist. "Do you want our math teacher, Mr. Tanaka, to think you are crazy, too!?"

Ranma rubbed his head. He was going to have a major headache tomorrow. He got hit on the head too many times today. "He said I can talk to him if anything was on my mind. He noticed my 'weird' behavior lately."

Akane threw her hands up in the air. "I can not believe this!"

Ranma shrugged his shoulders. "Well, I don't know who else to turn to. Maybe Mr. Tanaka knows something."

Akane was furious, but she calmed herself down after a bit. "Well, I'll stay after class with you, then. I want to see what Mr. Tanaka has to say about all of this."

Ranma rolled his eyes this time. "Ok, whatever!"

"Fine!" Akane stated, putting her hands on her hips.

When Ranma was about to leave her bedroom, Akane stopped him. "Let me observe you tonight, Ranma. You can sleep on my bed."

"Ehhh!?" Ranma blushed furiously.

Akane blushed, too. "Look, I have to stay up all night to study for a huge history exam, anyway. I forgot to study for it, so while I am studying, I can observe you while you sleep."

Ranma eyed her angrily. "No way."

Akane hissed in fury. "With you here, I can see what is going on! I'll be able to understand what you are talking about in your sleep!"

Ranma kept eyeing her. He didn't trust her tone….

"I won't be able to fall asleep, Akane. It would be futile," Ranma exclaimed.

"Fine then, have it your way," Akane stated. "I am just trying to help. You don't have to be such an idiot!"

"I'm not an idiot!" Ranma stated back. "I just won't be able to sleep. I'll be extremely uncomfortable!"

Akane seethed in fury. "Fine, whatever. Do what you want. I don't care anymore. I offer my help, and like always, you never take it because you are too busy being Mr. Macho!"

Tears welled up in Akane's eyes. Ranma's heart saddened. He hated it when she cried.

"Look, Akane, I am sorry…."

"**GET OUT!"** Akane screamed. Ranma ran for dear life out of her bedroom door before she could throw her desk chair at him.

As he tried to catch his breath once he reached the other side, Ranma was greeted by the whole household. Nabiki, Mr. Tendou, and Genma, had their ears up against glass cups against the wall, obviously trying to hear what was happening, while Kasumi sighed in disappointment at Ranma. They all walked back to their rooms, saddened it wasn't what they thought it was….

Ranma didn't get it…. _**"What did I do!!??"**_

* * *

'_Idiot, Ranma!_' Akane cried to herself on her bed. She was too sad and angry to study anymore. She sighed as she curled up on her side with her arms wrapped tightly around her small body.

'_**Kikyou….'**_

The name suddenly popped up in Akane's head. She furrowed her eyebrows, not knowing why that name just appeared out of nowhere.

'_Kikyou, Kikyou, Kikyou….'_ Akane said over and over again in her mind. She chuckled softly. She liked it. It seemed so familiar….

Akane slowly drifted off in to dreamland with a small smile tugging at her lips.


	7. Chapter 7: Dead and Demonic Auras

**Chapter 7**

* * *

"**RANMA!! PREPARE TO DIE!!"**

anma instantly moved out of the way. The sword missed him by inches.

Upperclassmen Kuno attacked yet again while Ranma dodged easily. "What's got you so pissed off this morning, Kuno?"

"**You vile, wretched beast! How dare you hurt my beloved, Akane Tendou!?"**

Ranma rolled his eyes as he still continued to dodge Kuno's attacks. "What are you talking about, fool?"

As Kuno prepared for his ultimate technique, Ranma grabbed Kuno's sword in both hands, stopping his movement.

"**Let go, Ranma Saotome! Be a man and let me defeat you properly! No one makes Akane Tendou sad and depressed and gets away with it!"**

Ranma punched him over the head. "Now listen you! What the hell is your problem!?"

Before he could say more, Akane strolled over to them, quite calmly. She rolled her eyes as she saw the sight. Ranma looked over to her when he sensed her and gasped in horror. Her aura had changed somehow….

"**Prepare to die, Saotome!"** Kuno screamed to the heavens. When Ranma was occupied with his own thoughts, he left an opening. Kuno was able to free his sword from Ranma's grasp and was about to strike his heart.

"_**Ranma, pay attention!"**_ Akane screamed out to him, her aura almost going back to its regular flare. When Kuno was about to strike the final blow, Ranma grabbed the sword right when it pierced his skin. The sword didn't go in to his skin, but the tip of the sword did, but just a little bit. It was enough to make Ranma bleed, and leave a permanent scar….

* * *

_Suddenly, Ranma saw Kuno's appearance change. A dark aura emitted from his body, as well as a terrible smell. 'A scent?' Ranma wondered, frantically._

_Vapors started to protrude from the ground and engulf Ranma and Kuno both. Growing even more frantic, Ranma stared at Kuno, his eyes widening in horror as he still continued to clutch Kuno's sword in both hands._

_Kuno's eyes were deep red and his black hair grew longer, wrapping itself around Ranma's form. Kuno's sword changed in to an arm that looked like sharp tentacles. Aura's of demonic power radiated off of Kuno, and an extreme hate welled itself up in Ranma's body. The feeling was so alien, yet so familiar to Ranma. He could feel a loud, rumbling of sound, coming from deep inside his body, up in to his throat._

"_**So we meet again,"**__ the form said, who was once Kuno._

* * *

When Ranma heard Akane's voice again, screaming out through the darkness, Ranma came back to reality. The darkness disappeared, and Kuno's appearance went back to normal. He looked at Akane in shock, and then looked back at Kuno. 

Kuno had the same expression of shock and fear on his face, just like Ranma's.

Ranma broke the sword in half and, in a fury of movements, hit all of Kuno's pressure points, and then booted him up in to the sky for good measure.

Akane ran over to Ranma once the battle subsided. She gasped as she saw a red spot start to grow bigger and bigger on his white shirt.

"Ranma, are you alright!?" She asked him anxiously. She looked closer at the wound, making sure it wasn't too serious.

"I'm alright, Akane," Ranma said, a little breathlessly. He looked down at his wound and sighed. He was loosing concentration and focus, and if Akane hadn't yelled out to him while he was battling Kuno….

Adruptly, Ranma grabbed Akane's hand and walked out of the school yard. At first Akane protested, but when she saw the look in Ranma's eyes, she stopped immediately.

When they were away from the school and out of sight from people, Ranma picked Akane up and started to jump over the rooftops. When they reached the Tendou Dojo, their home, Ranma jumped on the roof with Akane. This was the best place to talk; away from sight and hearing.

"Ranma, what is going on?" Akane yelled at him once he let her down. "You need to see Doctor Tofu about your wound!"

"It's nothing serious," Ranma shrugged. He sat down Indian style and looked out into the surrounding rooftops. Akane sat down next to him.

Ranma's mind turned frantically. _'What was that?' _He thought to himself.

"Ranma?" Akane asked him, tentatively.

Ranma turned to her, to look her in the eye. "Akane, I had another vision today while battling Kuno."

Akane gasped. "What did you see?"

Ranma gulped. "I'm….I'm not sure…."

Akane waited silently.

"It grew dark around us. I can't really describe it, but Kuno's appearance had changed…."

Akane sat closer to him, absorbed. "And?"

Ranma sighed. He looked away from Akane this time. "His eyes grew red, his hair grew longer….like yours, and they wrapped themselves around me….choking me….

"And then, his sword turned in to….something….and then he said, _'So we meet again'_."

Akane's eyes widened, in shock. She suddenly remembered there was a brief darkness that surrounded the two, right at the moment when Kuno hurt Ranma. She could almost see Kuno….in the way Ranma described him.

"What do you think it means?" Akane asked, hesitantly, after she told Ranma what she, too, saw.

Ranma shrugged. "At least I am not totally crazy, especially since you saw it. But something else is bothering me…."

"What?" Akane asked.

"I felt this extreme hate towards him. And it wasn't even my hate. It felt so alien, yet so….familiar."

Akane sat silent for a moment. "What made you lose your concentration, before this all happened?"

Ranma looked at her and his eyes narrowed. "Your aura changed."

Akane was taken a-back. "My aura?"

Ranma nodded his head silently. "Just like with Kuno, your aura changed. His was _demonic_…._evil_…._black_….and yours was…."

Akane pushed on. "Like what?"

"_**Dead."**_

Akane sat in silence for a long moment. _**"D-dead?"**_ She gasped out, questionably.

Ranma looked away from her yet again, looking out in to the distant rooftops. "It was strange. Your aura is usually sweet, a violet color, filled with happiness and light, along with some sadness. But when you came towards me and Kuno, your aura flared purple. It was filled with pain, extreme sadness, and complete hate."

Ranma shuddered. "Your aura made me feel completely crazy and sad. It felt like I caused you those feelings and that I did something to you that you could never forgive. Did I, Akane?"

Akane looked away from Ranma. Should she tell him?

"Last night, when we had our fight….the name _Kikyou_…." Akane gasped as she said the name, but she edged herself on, "I had really strange dreams last night."

Ranma waited silently for her to continue. "I mean, it's probably nothing," Akane stated, "but they felt very real."

Silence engulfed the two. "Tell me about it," Ranma said, breaking the silence.

Akane inhaled slowly, and then exhaled slowly. When she opened her eyes, fear and anger was filled within them.

"It was about _you_….and _me_…." She started.

Ranma gulped. Her aura was changing again, and her eyes were growing darker. He wanted to edge away from her, yet embrace her at the same time. What was going on?

"I was in a field, walking towards an unknown destination," Akane said silently. Her eyes still held the fear and anger within them. Or was it fear and hate?

"I knew I was looking for you, though," Akane stated, looking Ranma in the eye. Her aura grew colder and colder. "I was holding something in my grasp. I guess it was a present for you."

"When I was about to put something red on my lips, something came up from behind me. It _pierced_ my right shoulder. And though it was only a dream, _I felt it_, Ranma. I felt the pain! And I bled, Ranma! _I bled everywhere_!"

Ranma winced as her tone grew colder and colder. Tears started to erupt from her eyes. "And then, when I was on the ground, someone stomped their foot on my right hand, and _I felt that pain, too!_" Akane cried, while rubbing her right hand.

Ranma wanted to comfort her, but something stopped him. _Was it his fear?_

"_**It was you...you've done that to me, even after you promised we'd be together, that you would become human for me...you promised me..."**_ Ranma's head snapped up at that last comment. Her voice had completely changed. It deepened and sounded much older.

Ranma looked at Akane in confusion. What the hell was she talking about? What the hell was going on? But then he finally noticed that_ she completely changed; from head to toe._

Akane's features grew cold and dark; all the tearfulness completely vanished. Her eyes turned brown and stoic, her hair grew long and black. Her aura flared to purple, and when Akane stood before Ranma, hate, anger, and betrayal filled her eyes. Ranma backed away slowly from her, hesitantly calling out her name with worry and fear.

"A-Akane….?"

"_**WHY DID YOU BETRAY ME, INU-YASHA!!??"**_


	8. Chapter 8: InuYasha

**Chapter 8**

* * *

_Inu-Yasha..._

_Inu-Yasha..._

_Inu-Yasha..._

* * *

A **pulse**. And then **another one**. He was **pulsing**.

* * *

Something ripped through Ranma as his body pulsed and quivered. He clenched at his head as the name echoed through his mind _again, and again, and again._

* * *

Ranma screamed as the pain exploded within him. His vision, instead of going dark, became incredibly clear. His hearing became incredibly acute. He could smell things no one else could. And his canine teeth…. 

Became incredibly long and sharp.

He winced when he felt something else sharp, but on his scalp. He was taken a back when he finally realized that his hands had claws….and that he was wearing something really red and weird looking.

He looked around frantically. The scene changed before him. He seemed to be on a stone cliff-face. He looked about him and he could see an extremely, and very grotesque, old hag in the background, licking her lips at her soon to be dinner.

A salty, yet sweet, smell suddenly came to his nose. He looked around for the source, and there she was, just a few feet in front of him….

She was bleeding. Her right shoulder was covered in blood. The blood ran from her shoulder like a small waterfall, and became a puddle around her feet. Tears streamed from her eyes, and she cursed him. She _hated_ him.

Suddenly, a bow came in to her hands, and she aimed it right at his heart. He dodged, and then dodged another. Who was this woman? Why was she doing this?

'_Kikyou...'_

He knew who this woman was now. She was Kikyou, a priestess. A **Miko**. He whipped something out from his belt to stop her arrow that shot at him again, and then grabbed her. He looked deep in to her eyes, trying to see who she was more clearly.

She spat at him, cursed him, and cried. He wouldn't let go of his hold though; she looked so oddly familiar….

Then everything came crashing down upon him at once.

"_A-Akane…?"_ He tried to speak more clearly, but it took a lot of energy to do so. The woman named Kikyou, who was in his arms, looked up at him, befuddled.

"What trickery is this, _**Inu-Yasha**_!?" She spat at him, trying to release his hold on her.

The name hit him again; full force. But he fought it just as hard back. He was not this _Inu-Yasha_. He was _Ranma_. _**Ranma!**_

"I am **RANMA**!!" He screamed, while still holding the woman in his arms.

Things became more clearly for a few seconds after his cry. He saw flickers of the Tendou Dojo roof in front of him, before it faded back to the cliff-face.

Ranma kept repeating his name, over and over in his mind again. He then repeated the names of all the other people he knew, even if they were his enemies, too. The more he screamed in his mind, reminding himself of his life, the blurrier the scene around him became.

"**Akane!"** Ranma screamed down at the girl in his arms. "**Akane!** Wake up!"

Akane's features flickered in front of him, just like the scene around them flickered. Her hair was short for one second, then long the next. Her eyes, brown for another second, then blue the next. He had to get them out of there, before it was too late!

Suddenly, a sharp chill went down Ranma's spine. He heard an evil laughing that seemed to echo everywhere, and Ranma held Akane more tightly in his arms. He felt her shift underneath him. At first he thought she was holding on to him too, but then she spoke to him, making his heart almost stop beating.

"Let go, **Ranma**. It's too late."

Then a burning sensation washed through him. It was the most painful thing he had ever experienced in his whole life. He almost keeled over in pain. His whole right arm was severely burnt.

Ranma still heard the laughing that seemed to engulf him. It was a laugh he did not recognize at all and this aura….it scared him to the bone.

Suddenly, Akane's features disappeared, and the much older woman stood before him now. Kikyou aimed her bow at him as the evil laughing still continued to echo around them. Ranma looked frantically for the source of the sound as the cliff-face became darker and darker.

'_**Who are you!?'**_ He tried to scream out. _**'Show yourself, coward!!' **_But Ranma could not even whisper. The pain in his arm was just too much for him to bear. The laughter's volume became louder and louder. He tried to clutch at his ears but then panicked when he could not feel them where they were supposed to be….

Before anything else could happen, Kikyou shot her arrow at him once more. It went through his defenses and was about to strike his heart, the same place Kuno's sword cut him….

Then he heard a scream.

"_**No, not yet!"**_ the woman in front of him cried. He looked at her, astonished. White light shot out of her body and swirled in the air, and the arrow that was about to pierce his heart vanished.

The white light circled above something, and then fell to the ground. He looked on when he noticed a young girl was there, right in the middle of it.

The evil laughing stopped suddenly. Ranma could hear it curse while the scene changed back to the Tendou Dojo. Everything flickered, and then the cliff-face completely vanished.

Ranma started to sweat. He looked at himself frantically, to make sure everything was back to normal.

'_No claws, no fangs, no weird robes...'_

Ranma suddenly heard a sound, which broke him from his thoughts. He finally realized that Akane was on the ground at his feet, moaning in pain. He was about to bent down to help her quickly when he noticed something….

There was a very sweet smell in the air. He knew this scent….he knew this scent of flowers and wood. Of streams and trees. Of spring, unlike the other woman who smelled of fall. He was almost entranced by this scent….until Ranma looked up and was literally shocked out of his wits.

"A-Akari?" Ranma gasped. "What are _you_ doing here?"

Akari jumped off her pig and ran over to them. "Are you alright!?"

"**What in the hells--?"** Ranma gapped as he watched her. Her appearance changed, though not so dramatically like Akane's did. She looked exactly the same, except her hair became black instead of her usual brown, and her school uniform changed to the colors of white and green.

A bright pink light animated from off of her body. She was literally glowing, and the scent of spring washed right off of her, hitting him full force in the face!

"Sorry, I was coming over here to see if you saw Ryouga by any chance. I wanted to give him this," she showed Ranma a basket, which was probably stacked with food.

"Then I saw this huge dark light on your roof, so I came up to investigate. Is Akane ok? What's going on?" Akari burst out, worriedly.

Ranma picked Akane up and jumped off the roof quickly. He didn't want to be around Akari right now. Too many visions in one day definitely could not be good for a person's brain. And wanting to embrace Akari, to smell her hair, to feel her embrace, to feel her hands upon his skin….

That was _**way**_ out of the question.

"Hey!" Akari cried out to Ranma, but he disappeared through Akane's window. She looked at her pig and shrugged. What was with those two??

* * *

Ranma gently laid Akane on her bed. She looked almost peaceful except for the sweat on her brow. _'She must be hounded by nightmares...' _he thought to himself. Ranma walked over to Akane's desk and sat down. He looked out her window, trying to get his thoughts in order. 

'_Maybe I shouldn't talk to Mr. Tanaka. Maybe I should really talk to Dr. Tofu? Ah hells, we missed school...Akane is going to kill me when she wakes up. Damn it, Kuno!' _

Ranma didn't even care about school, though it was going to be very hard to explain all this to his teachers on why Akane and he skipped. He had to come up with a good lie.

'_Ugh, I hate lying...'_ Ranma thought, distastefully, even though he practically lies, twenty-four-seven! And Ranma was never a very good liar. He even knew that!

He looked over his shoulder at Akane again. Her eyes were open, staring at Ranma's face.

**"Akane!"** Ranma cried, though a little hesitantly.

"Ranma, what are you doing in my room??" Akane asked, angrily. Ranma, instead of feeling a chill run down his spine, felt extremely happy. She sounded like the old Akane!

Akane tried to sit up, but she winced and clasped a hand to her forehead. "Ugh, what happened? **Gah! School!** Why aren't we in school, Ranma!!??"

Ranma sighed with relief. She didn't seem to remember anything that happened at all….

"You got sick, Akane," Ranma lied, yet it sort of was the truth, as well. Maybe that's why Akane didn't see through it right away. It was partially the truth, right?

Akane winced and touched her right shoulder. "Ow!" she cried. Ranma went to her quickly. He sighed in relief when there was no blood. He was expecting there to be some, and if there was, how could he explain _that_ to Akane!?

"You fell outside of school, Akane. I wanted to talk to you about….some things….and you fell on your side. You must have had a fever or something."

"Really?" Akane asked, disbelievingly. "I don't feel hot….and if I _did_ faint, why didn't you take me to Dr. Tofu? Or to the schools nurse?"

Ranma started to sweat to the extreme. "Look, I didn't think it was that serious, alright? The first place that came to mind was to take you here."

Akane looked at him one more time before shrugging her shoulders. Now that she came to think about it, she _was_ feeling a little nauseous. Maybe a hot shower was in order….

"I better not get in trouble at school tomorrow, Ranma, or you're going to get it!" Akane stated in warning. She slowly got up from the bed, hit her bedroom door, opened it, and then tripped while walking out.

Ranma just sat there, stunned. It was like none of it ever happened….like it was all just a bad dream. Surely she should have remembered _something!_

"Yo, Ranma! What did you do to Akane _this _time!?" Akane's sister, Nabiki, asked when she came to the bedroom door. Both Ranma and Nabiki stood there, watching Akane fall all over the place while she tried to reach the bathroom.

"Ahh….she is….sick?" said Ranma.

Kasumi passed Akane in the hallway and then stopped to stare at her, and then she gave a worried glance in both Ranma's and Nabiki's directions.

"Oh, my! Is she--?"

"She's sick," both Nabiki and Ranma said at the same time.


	9. Chapter 9: Wolf and Boomerang

**Chapter 9**

* * *

Ranma's life couldn't possibly be more hectic then it was now. 

'_That damn name...I can't get it out of my friggin' mind!_' Ranma cursed at himself as he sat outside on the high school's roof. Today was a good day to play "hooky," and it was healthy once and awhile….and it was healthy to escape Akane's beatings once and a while, as well.

Ranma could only imagine the beating she was going to give him after school….the teachers were probably scolding her for "skipping" yesterday, right at this very moment. I bet a million ways to kill him were running through her mind right now.

Ranma sighed as a cool breeze danced through his hair and his school uniform. It was another beautiful day out, and what other way to enjoy it but on a roof? A high school's roof, no doubt!

No matter what Ranma did, though, he couldn't stop thinking about yesterday. He tried so hard to erase it….he tried so hard to forget….but the memory hit him on the head like a huge battling sword, constantly continuing to give him extreme pain and agony as it sliced at his brain, over and over again.

Ranma looked at his right arm and rubbed it a bit. There were no burnt marks there….his arm was completely well and unharmed. The only good thing about these visions was that, even though he gets hurt (very painfully so), there were no wounds after.

Ranma sighed as he watched the sky, the birds, and the sway of the trees. It was so peaceful there, and he was more then happy to just get away from it all, even if it was just for a little while.

A sudden pain stung Ranma through his shirt. He took of his shirt to notice that the scar Kuno inflicted upon him with his sword yesterday was bleeding. He touched it and was immediately taken aback when the wound burnt his fingertips.

'_What the?'_ Ranma looked at the scar more closely, and a wash of déjà vu once again engulfed him.

An arrow protruded from his chest….and he knew who put it there, this time. Fire surrounded him, and he knew why, again. But Ranma fought all of it back with all the force he could muster. His heart, for unknown reasons, was shattering in to a million pieces….

Ranma abruptly stood up, wanting to rid himself of the vision...and all of this, together. He had to figure this out and stop this hell. It was driving him insane. He was not this….person with claws and weird red robes….he did not know a Kikyou or a Kagome….and he certainly did not want to know anything more about all of this, at all! But in order to stop this madness, Ranma would have to.

But he'd probably need some help first….

* * *

Ranma tried to see Mr. Tanaka after school, but Akane hounded his door, awaiting Ranma's arrival. Seeing there was no way through Akane, he bolted for it, out the window. Her mallet missed him only by inches…. 

Ranma ran for a bit, and then jumped up on the town's roofs when the streets got a little too crowded. He didn't stop until he reached Dr. Tofu's place.

"Dr. Tofu!?" Ranma yelled, a little too hastily. He ran in to the doctor's place and was relieved no one else was there. He needed to talk to Dr. Tofu in private. If anyone else were to hear what Ranma was going to say right at this very moment, they'd put him in a mental hospital, for sure!

"Ranma?" Dr. Tofu asked as he walked out from his personal back office. "Is everything alright?" He eyed the small blood spot on Ranma's school shirt worriedly.

"Do you mind if I talk to you for a bit, Doc? This is important." Ranma stated, a little too hastily yet again.

Dr. Tofu raised an eyebrow at Ranma and chuckled. "Strange you want to talk to me about something important, because I have two other guests here that need to do the same….and it's about you."

This time, Ranma raised an eyebrow and followed Dr. Tofu in to his back office when he motioned Ranma to follow. When Ranma saw who was sitting in the chairs across from the Doc's desk, his jaw almost literally hit the floor.

A woman he had never seen before sat there, with a strange instrument on her back. She was pretty and well-built, and had a stern grim on her face. Her hair was long and brown, and up in a high ponytail. She wore weird looking clothing, almost like black armor, and the strange instrument on her back seemed to be a giant boomerang….

The man next to her was not a man at all. His eyes were a piercing blue, and he wore strange brown fur around his chest and legs….and his hair was long and black, up in a high ponytail, as well. Some kind of _scent_ hit Ranma's nose, instantly making him recoil in distaste. The smell of….wolf….?

It took a few moments for Ranma to register who the two complete "strangers" really were….

"_**Ukyou!? Ryouga!?"**_


	10. Chapter 10: Doctor's Visit

**Chapter 10**

* * *

Ranma stood, dumbfounded, at the pair before him. He blinked his eyes a few times and slapped himself.

No…he wasn't dreaming.

"Have a seat, Ranma," Dr. Tofu instructed as he made his way over to his desk. Ranma was motioned to sit in between Ryouga and Ukyou.

Ranma gulped and hesitated. When Dr. Tofu motioned Ranma to sit yet again, Ranma sighed and timidly walked over to them, taking his designated seat.

He peeked over at Ukyou, on his left, from the corner of his eye. She was staring at him, and her eyes held something in between confusion and fear. Ranma noticed she was gripping her giant spatula, as if waiting for an attack.

Ranma then peeked over at Ryouga, on his right, and gulped when Ryouga stared at him with hate burning within his eyes. Ryouga had his arms crossed over his chest, and his nose was crunched up, as if he had just smelled something horrible.

"Ranma, where did you get that cut?" Dr. Tofu broke the silence and Ranma jumped in his seat. He completely forgot the Doctor was there.

"Uh, an accident," he mumbled, a little sheepishly.

"May I see it?" Doctor Tofu asked. His face was stern yet pleasant at the same time.

Ranma looked over at Ukyou and grimaced when she help her giant spatula even tighter. He then heard a noise and saw Ryouga cracking his knuckles, as if he was ready to fight, as well.

Ranma felt extremely intimidated and he felt cornered. His heart began to race.

"Look, Doc, I don't think this is the time or place…and it isn't all that serious. It's just a small cut," Ranma muttered. He could feel his blood starting to rush to his face.

Dr. Tofu sighed. "Very well, but I still would like to examine it after we all have this…discussion."

Ranma gulped. He could feel himself start to sweat.

Doctor Tofu leaned back in his chair. He was quiet and contemplative for a moment. After a very awkward silence, the Doctor opened his eyes and stared at Ranma.

"Akane had visited me a few days ago, Ranma. She says you are not being yourself."

Ranma's eyes widened, in shock. "Wha--?"

"She says you have been keeping the whole household up at night," Doctor Tofu continued, "because you have been having very strange dreams lately, am I correct?"

He heard Ukyou, on his right, shift a bit. He peeked over at her again and noticed she was now staring at the opposite wall, oblivious in her thoughts, yet still clutching her giant spatula tightly. You can see the white in her knuckles.

Ranma cleared his throat. "I told Akane it was nothing, Doc. Just bad nightmares. She had no right to come here without me knowing and--"

"I believe she has every right, Ranma," Dr. Tofu exclaimed, cutting off Ranma. "She is your fiancée, and she is very worried about you."

Ranma looked down in to his lap. "What do Ryouga and Ukyou have to do with all of this?" He muttered, his face getting even redder with embarrassment.

"Because we have been having strange 'nightmares' as well, Ranma," Ryouga stated. Ranma was taken a back when he heard Ryouga's voice. It seemed…different somehow, yet it still sounded the same.

"And they are about you," Ukyou interjected. Her voice also seemed…different, yet it still sounded the same, just like Ryouga.

"Can you tell us what your dreams are about, Ranma?" Doctor Tofu asked. He leaned forward in his chair a bit, giving the impression, "I'm all eyes and ears".

Ranma looked at the Doctor straight in the eye. "Why do you want to know so badly? What did Akane say?"

Doctor Tofu sighed. "She told me about the discussion you two had before she…lost her temper…but what she told me interests me greatly.

"Akane told me, when you have the dreams, you see her…let's say…differently, and she also stated that you have been having visions while awake. You scream and cry out people's names she never heard of before, and you don't get any sleep."

Ranma waited for the Doctor to continue after a brief silence.

"It was odd," started the Doctor, "that Ukyou would come to me on the same exact day Akane came to me, and talk to me about dreams and visions, as well…and the next day, Ryouga."

Ranma peeked over at the two others in the room. Ryouga still had his arms folded over his chest, and he was staring intently out the window. Ukyou, it seemed, found something very interesting to stare at on the opposite wall, yet again.

Ranma took a deep breath. "What else did she say?"

"Akane has been having strange dreams, too," Doctor Tofu immediately stated. "I would have kept this all confidential, but I am no physiatrist, and that certainly is not in my scope of practice…but it does intrigue me. I would like to look further in to all of this…"

"What dreams?" Ranma asked, a little surprised.

Doctor Tofu sighed. "Akane didn't tell me much, but she said she has been having them for quite some time…probably longer than you have been having yours. But other than that, she didn't really want to talk about all of it. She didn't want to seem 'crazy', I suppose."

Ranma was in shock. This has been happening to Akane, and she didn't tell him!? And when this started to happen to Ranma, she got mad and booted him for it!? What the hell!?!?

Ranma was about to stand up and run home to demand answers from Akane, but Ukyou and Ryouga stood up just when he did, blocking his exit.

"What the--?"

"We are not done here," stated Ukyou and Ryouga sternly.

Ranma started to get angry. "Why are you two here again!? Get out of my way or I'll make you!!"

When Ranma was about to charge his way through both Ryouga and Ukyou, something changed within him when the Doctor spoke…

"Does the name...**'Inu-Yasha'**...mean anything to you?"

_**A pulse…and then another one…**_

Ranma slowly looked over at Doctor Tofu with shock. The Doctor looked at Ranma very seriously. Ranma could feel his whole body pulsing, and he could feel both Ryouga and Ukyou stiffen where they stood.

A deep rumbling came from within Ryouga, which didn't sound human, and Ukyou readied herself, it seemed, for battle.

Ranma tried to speak, but it was very hard. He could feel vibrations run through his body, and his ears began to ring.

'_No!'_ Ranma screamed in his mind, fighting back the alien presence that seemed to bring a heart beat, all of its own. _'I am Ranma! RANMA!'_

The pulsing seemed to die down a bit, but it washed over him again, just as quickly. Ranma could feel something…demonic…yet familiar…creep up at him, in the back of his mind.

It was warm…and also held a great, yet dark, amount of power.

"I knew it," muttered Ryouga, who still continued to give off an animalistic growl. "I knew I wasn't becoming crazy or delusional! We truly did re--"

Before Ranma could hear what he dreaded and feared, he blasted himself through the Doctors ceiling and propelled himself towards the sky.


	11. Chapter 11: The 'Discussion'

**Author's Note:**

**

* * *

**_**After reading the reviews and seeing that my chapters were way too short, I made this chapter long. And I promise to make my future chapters just as long, or even longer! The only down fall is, it might take me a little longer to update now…**_

_**But thank you, all, for all the wonderful reviews!! It truly makes my day (and surely keeps me motivated) when I see the picturesque and complimentary reviews, so I thank you all so much, yet again!!**_

_**Also, **__**Ranma: Evolution's**__** rating **__**may**__** change in the near future, preferably to **__**M**__**: For language, strong content, suggestive themes…and other things...just so you all know. Also, I am not sure when I will change the rating, but I will let you all know when I do. I promise!**_

_**Sincerely,**_

**_Howl Angelline Belladonna_**

* * *

**Chapter 11**

* * *

His heart was pounding frantically as he heard the others chase after him. 

"Ranma-chan! Wait! Stop!" he could hear Ukyou cry, but it was of no use. Ranma kept running, jumping over the rooftops, while clutching at his chest. Kuno's wound burned furiously, right above his heart.

He could see his vision start to darken and blur, but he kept his legs pumping, even though they slowly started to turn to jelly.

"Dumbass, slow down!" he heard Ryouga's yell, but nothing could stop Ranma. Adrenaline pumped through his veins, and his heart beat quickened even more.

Was it fear?

Yes, Ranma was terrified, though he would probably never openly admit it. But Ranma truly was afraid, and he just wanted to run. He had never experienced this fear in his life, except for the time when he thought Akane was dead when he battled Saffron…

Ranma shook his head, trying to clear his vision. He was jumping and running rather sloppily now, and he was surprised Ukyou and Ryouga hadn't caught up to him yet. Wasn't he running a bit slow?

No, he was running extremely fast. Ranma looked down at the ground from the rooftops beneath him, watching everything under him as a fast blur. He surprised himself with his speed, and immediately slowed down. He didn't know how much more his heart could take, especially since he never ran so fast in his life.

He expected Ryouga and Ukyou to catch up to him right away, but they were no where in sight. He lost them, and he sighed in relief. He did not want to confront them right now.

Ranma sat in the alley where he stopped and put his head in his hands. Even though he wasn't running anymore, his heart wouldn't slow down. He clutched at his head, trying to cease the pounding that was there. He could feel his blood heating even at a higher degree, and his vision still wouldn't clear.

It was that damn name again, and Ranma growled at the thought of it. How could they do this to him? How could they have known? How could Dr. Tofu know about it? Sure, Akane talked to him, as well as Ryouga and Ukyou, but how could any of them have known about…THAT name??

Unless…Ryouga and Ukyou knew about it. Were they tricking him? Trying to drive him mad? No, they couldn't be. He never said…THAT name…aloud, and he never told anyone about it.

Then Akane flashed into his mind. That day, when both he and she were on the roof…and when she changed…she screamed that name at the top of her lungs at him! Did anyone see it? Hear it? Could Ryouga and Ukyou have been there?

This didn't make any sense!

Why would Ryouga and Ukyou do this to him? Ranma could clearly see, in both of their eyes earlier, that this was a very serious, and very delicate, matter. They were not tricking him. This was not some plot to pry both him and Akane away from each other, like Ryouga and Ukyou tried to do in the past.

So what the hell was going on?

Then Ranma's heart skipped a beat. Akari was there. When the vision became a reality, making Akane turn on him, Akari saw the whole thing on the sidelines. And since Akane didn't remember anything about that day when she attacked him, he would have to talk to Akari.

Why did Ranma's heart suddenly warm at the very thought of seeing Akari? Why did his whole body, his mind, and his heart, calm down at the very thought of her? Why did he, painstakingly, want to see her? To hear her voice? To embrace her? To smell her hair? To kiss—.

Ranma slapped himself. What the hell was wrong with him!?!? Ranma continued to slap himself for a short period of time. Why would he think this way about Akari!? How could he!?

Ranma abruptly stood up from his fetal position, but now with many red marks and bruises upon his face.

'_I have to talk to Akari,'_ he told himself, over and over again. No matter what alien thoughts were getting in to his head, he had to talk to her. He had to know if she saw the whole thing, and if she did, he had to know what she had seen. And Ranma knew he would have to confront Ryouga and Ukyou, and later tonight, Akane…

Ranma growled at the thought of Akane. How could she do this to him? How could she have talked to Dr. Tofu and not to him? And why did she hit him all those times when he tried to talk to her about it, making him feel stupid and crazy? What the HELL was wrong with her!?

Ranma propelled himself towards the sky, once again, and started to make his way back to the Tendou Dojo.

* * *

Surprisingly enough, it took Ranma almost a full hour to make it back to the Dojo. He was even more surprised to see how far he had run. He was in a completely different district when he ran from the Doctor's office; miles north of where the Tendou Dojo resided. 

When he made it back, Ranma wasn't too surprised to see Ryouga and Ukyou at the kitchen table of the Tendou's home. Akane was there, as well as the rest of the household, eating dinner quietly. Ranma eyed each person dangerously.

Mr. Tendou sipped at his green tea while reading the paper. His pop was in his panda form, eating furiously at his rice and his tofu. Kasumi was serving the tea, and Nabiki was also eating furiously while reading one of her girl magazines. Akane had a strange, yet dangerous, expression on her face as she stared at Ranma, and Ukyou and Ryouga just sat there, silently, pretending that he didn't even exist.

"Oh, my! What happened to you Ranma?" Kasumi gasped as she nearly dropped the tea, pointing at his face.

Ranma, for the first time in his life, ignored her. He walked over to Ryouga and Ukyou, and to everyone's surprise and sheer horror, grabbed them both by the back of their shirts and dragged them out of the kitchen and into the backyard.

"What the hell was that for!?" Ukyou yelled at Ranma as her giant spatula came crashing down upon his head, right when Ryouga punched Ranma in the face.

"I need to talk to you both, but in private," Ranma growled, warningly, shaking off the blows. Ukyou was taken back when she heard his tone of voice. It was so…un-Ranma like!

Ryouga just cracked his knuckles, greeting the challenge head on. "We already tried that, but you ran off with your tail between your legs!"

"Ryouga…" Ukyou hissed silently.

Ranma narrowed his eyes at Ryouga. "Look, Ryouga, unless you want Akane to know who you really are, I suggest both you and Ukyou follow me."

Ryouga gulped and turned around to find Akane, with the rest of the Tendou household, watching the whole situation with amusement…except for Akane.

Ryouga gave a quick look to Ukyou, and she nodded her head at him. "Alright, where do you suggest we 'talk'?"

"Follow me then," Ranma stated, and all three of them took flight, above the rooftops.

Akane was about to turn around and go back in to the house until Nabiki stopped her. "Aren't you going to go and follow Ranma?"

Akane gave her sister a darkened narrowed look. "And why would I do that?"

"He is your fiancé, after all," Nabiki scolded her. "Don't you want to know what's up? And besides, you'll be sighing all day if you don't."

Akane stammered out embarrassingly, "I-I do not!"

Nabiki rolled her eyes. "Yah, whatever."

As Nabiki walked away from her fuming sister, probably with a gigantic smirk on her face, Akane stomped her foot angrily. So what if Ranma, Ukyou, and Ryouga went out to talk privately? So what if it seemed urgent? SHE didn't care. Not one bit!

Akane put on her shoes and started to run the way Ranma went.

* * *

"Why couldn't you just talk to us at Doctor Tofu's place?" Ryouga demanded as he sat on the grass, with his arms crossed over his chest. 

Ryouga and Ukyou followed Ranma to a secluded spot in the park, a mile from the Tendou Dojo. Since it was late summer (and extremely hot in humidity), most people were either at the pool, or in their homes, trying to keep cool. So not that many people were out, to Ranma's advantage. Especially at the park.

Ranma was silent for a moment, enjoying the shade of the huge tree the three of them sat under. But just for a moment.

"It's…complicated…"

"_**COMPLICATED??"**_ Ryouga howled, seething with fury. "Something is happening to us, you dumbass, and right when we could face it, _you blast yourself through the Doctor's roof!"_

Ukyou smacked Ryouga on the head with her hand. "Stop it, baka!"

"No, he's right…" Ranma admitted, with his head bowed in shame. This took both Ukyou and Ryouga back in surprise.

"Ranma-chan…" Ukyou said his name, sadly.

"Look, I'm sorry about what happened. I just…" Ranma couldn't finish his statement, and he looked away from both of them in shame.

Ryouga rolled his eyes and smacked Ranma upside the head. "Stop being such an idiot and just talk to us, for once!"

Ukyou narrowed her eyes at Ryouga in warning. Ryouga growled at her, but then he subsided. Hitting Ranma around and trying to force him to talk wasn't going to help them any.

"Look, Ranma-chan," Ukyou started, scooting herself closer to Ranma in a friendly gesture for reassurance, "we are in the same state of…distress…as you are.

"I am not sure what is going on, and neither does Ryouga," Ukyou continued, sympathetically, "but we, together, can work this entire thing out."

Ranma growled at her. "What do you need me for!? And why did you and the pig have to talk to Doctor Tofu about all this!?"

"Watch it," Ryouga challenged him, warningly. Ranma challenged Ryouga back, staring in to his eyes without blinking.

"Stop it, both of you!" Ukyou stated, angrily. She slapped Ranma on the head and threw down her giant spatula upon Ryouga's head, immediately cutting off their staring contest.

"Males…" she muttered under her breath as she sat down once again. "Now look, Ranma-chan," Ukyou began, "both _Ryouga_ and I apologize for bringing Doctor Tofu in to this mess and upsetting you. But we thought maybe he could help."

Ranma growled lowly. "And why the hell would you do that? What do I have to do with any of this!?"

"You really are an idiot, aren't you!?" Ryouga yelled at him, forcing himself not to hit him in to outer space.

"Ryouga, just SHUT the HELL UP, and let me do the talking here!!" Ukyou screamed at him. Ryouga and Ukyou had a staring contest for a moment, until finally, Ryouga looked away and sat quiet, obediently.

Ukyou cleared her throat, indicating she was going to continue. "Ranma, like we told you before at Doctor Tofu's, both Ryouga and I have been having…strange dreams. About you."

Ranma sat quietly, waiting for her to continue.

"A couple of days ago," Ukyou started, once again, "or maybe about a week ago…I have been having nightmares. I couldn't sleep, eat…and it was seriously killing me. I couldn't cook and my business is suffering because of it.

"At first, I didn't know what to think when I started to have these dreams. They were so weird, and they frightened me to the bone." Ukyou paused before she started again. "But then the dreams became more vivid, and there were people…who I knew in these dreams…that got killed…right in front of my eyes…"

Tears welled up in Ukyou's eyes. Ryouga just sat silently, along with Ranma, waiting for her to continue.

"I called one of them father…and brother…and I just…I don't know…" Ukyou sobbed, but she tried to keep her composure desperately. "There was so much blood and fire...

"But then the dreams shifted," Ukyou stated seriously, even though stray tears still kept falling down from her eyes. "I thought I was dead, for some odd reason. But someone who found me…promised me revenge. Promised me revenge on the person who killed my family…

"The faces are all blurry, and I can't remember much of anything, but I did remember the one name…the one face…"

Ukyou stared at Ranma angrily. "It was you, Ranma. _**It was you!!"**_

Ryouga quickly took hold of Ukyou before she could attack Ranma. She thrashed in Ryouga's strong hold as she desperately tried to reach Ranma; her eyes were glazed over and they darkened to a major degree. The promise of murder was in her eyes as she continued to cry and scream, pitifully.

Ranma fell backwards onto his back in shock right when Ukyou sprang at him. He didn't know what to make of this situation. People were attacking him from left and right lately, accusing him of things that he had never done, or ever remember doing!

"Ukyou, just calm the hell down!" Ryouga yelled down at her as he tightened his hold on her. When she just thrashed in his hold more, he slapped her.

Shock was written on both Ranma's and Ukyou's faces. But whatever trance she was in, she was finally snapped out of it. Literally.

"Wha?" Ukyou stammered as she held her now painfully red cheek. Ranma looked on in shock. It was just like with Akane…

"What the HELL!" Ukyou screamed at Ryouga, punching him in the face. As both she and Ryouga continued fighting and yelling at each other, Ranma put himself in between then and pushed them aside from one another.

"Ranma-chan?" Ukyou questioned him as she pulled herself up from off the ground.

"Will you two stop it!?" Ranma barked at both of them. "There are more important matters at stake here, alright!?"

Ukyou and Ryouga nodded grimly before they untangled themselves and sat far away from each other.

"Ukyou…" Ranma started, seriously, "what else did you see in your dreams?"

Ukyou suddenly remembered her weird behavior and suddenly flushed with embarrassment. "Oh my gods, I am so sorry Ranma-chan! I have no idea what came over me…!"

She couldn't finish her statement as she stared in to her lap, shamefully. Ranma sat closer to her and put his hand on her shoulder, hesitantly. He could see her flinch at the sudden contact, but then she relaxed under his friendly gesture.

"I would never do anything to hurt you, Ukyou-chan," Ranma smiled warmly at her. "It was just a nightmare."

Ukyou nodded her head slowly, yet he could still see doubt within her eyes. "I know but…it felt all too real. The pain was real…"

'_Just like with Akane…'_ Ranma thought, grimly.

"Sorry about that Ukyou…" Ryouga said, apologetically, after a moment of silence.

"It's ok, Ryouga. I was way out of line..." Ukyou admitted, still flushing with embarrassment.

"Is that why you were so tense around me, Ukyou-chan? When we were in the Doc's office?" Ranma asked her, gently.

Ukyou nodded her head again, but she said nothing more.

"Well, I know exactly what's going on," Ryouga stated, firmly. "I almost remember everything, and I am not sure if you want to hear it."

Ranma took his hand from Ukyou's shoulder and took his seat in the grass, once again. He folded his arms across his chest and stared at Ryouga. "What the hell does that mean?"

"Well, what do you think about reincarnation, Ranma?" Ryouga asked, seriously. "Do you believe in it, because I sure as hell do now."

"Reincarnation?" Ranma asked, dumbfounded.

"Yah, idiot. Reincarnation," Ryouga said to Ranma, rolling his eyes. "Can you honestly believe that these so-called 'dreams' are just dreams? They are way too real to be just 'dreams'."

Ranma felt a growl come from deep within his throat. He did not like where this conversation was going. "We are not having this discussion."

"Don't you see it, Ranma?" Ukyou said, quietly, taking Ryouga's side. "Isn't it just a bit odd that you, Ryouga, Akane, and I, started having these dreams almost at the exact same time?"

Ranma stared hard at her. "Don't bring Akane in to this."

Ukyou rolled her eyes in frustration at him. "Didn't you listen to anything today when we were at Doctor Tofu's!? Don't you remember that Doctor Tofu said both Akane and I showed up at his place, with almost the same exact things on our minds!?"

Ranma stared even harder at her. "You've talked to Akane about this?"

"No, Ranma. I did not talk to Akane about this…yet," Ukyou added quickly. "Doctor Tofu saw her and me separately. Only today, before you came to the Doctor's office, did he tell me that both Akane and I had almost the same exact problem. And the only reason he said this to me was because he was very concerned."

"She's telling the truth, Ranma," Ryouga interjected before Ranma could say anything. "It took me by surprise, as well. I didn't know that Ukyou and Akane were dealing with this at all, until today."

Ranma jumped to his feet, still very frustrated and confused. "Why the hell did you talk to Doctor Tofu then!? When did you even know about him, anyway!?"

Ukyou and Ryouga were quickly losing their patience. "Firstly, Doctor Tofu is the only Doctor around," Ukyou stated, matter-of-factly. "Secondly, I go to him all the time, Ranma! For injuries and the like! Remember!? And thirdly, when this all started happening, I didn't know who to go to, to talk about all of this! So I went to go see the Doctor! Is that a crime!?"

Ranma tightened his jaw in irritation. "So, you wanted to make sure you weren't going insane?"

Ukyou nodded shamefully. "What else could I have done? I didn't know what to make of all this…I thought I was just getting sick at first…"

Ranma unclench his jaw and sat back down with a grunt. He was going to have yet another pounding headache later on today…and into tomorrow…

"Ranma, you really are thick…" Ryouga murmured under his breath.

"What the hell did you say!?" Ranma shot him a dark look, taking Ryouga back in surprise. That was way too low and quiet for Ranma to be able to hear, and that even confirmed his findings when Ukyou looked at both Ryouga and Ranma with a questionable look.

Ryouga shook it off. "I didn't say anything, idiot."

"The hell you did!" Ranma shouted at him. "I ain't thick, you--"

"**Enough!!"** Ukyou shouted at both of them. She rubbed at her temples furiously. "We truly are not getting anywhere at the moment, and you both are going to make my head explode by the end of this discussion!!"

Unbeknownst, at that moment, to the continually fighting and bickering three, a lone figure could be seen…a little far off in the distance…with an evil grin on its face…


	12. Chapter 12: Goodbye, Akane Tendou

**Author's Note:**

* * *

**_Just so you all know, the rating has now changed to M. I promised to inform you about this change, and so I kept my promise! So please, sit back, relax, and enjoy reading Chapter 12 of Ranma: Evolution!_**

**_Sincerely,_**

**_Howl Angelline Belladonna_**

* * *

**Chapter 12**

* * *

Akane ran through the streets of Nerima, looking around for any sight of Ranma and the others. She could have sworn they went in this direction… 

As she came across the park, she heard yelling and shouting. _'That sounds like Ranma…'_ she thought to herself, and she quickly ran through the park, heading in the direction of the noise.

As she came closer to the shouting and bickering and finally saw the duo trying to kill each other under a large tree, she immediately stopped and hid behind a massive tree a few yards away from the duo: For behind another large tree…a few yards away from both Ranma, Ryouga, Ukyou, and herself…

Was Mr. Tanaka…staring at the duo with a grin on his face…

'_What's Mr. Tanaka doing here?'_ she thought to herself as she stared at him from behind the shelter of the large tree. Both the fighting duo and Mr. Tanaka didn't seem to notice that she was there.

"He is the one who started it!" Ryouga yelled at Ukyou while he pointed at Ranma.

"You are the one calling me thick, you **pig**!" Ranma bellowed at Ryouga.

"You call me pig **ONE MORE TIME**..." Ryouga threatened.

"_**ENOUGH!"**_ Ukyou yelled at the both of them as she bonked them over the head with her giant spatula. "You guys are _pathetic!_ We have a serious situation here, and both of you don't take it seriously! You both just act like _over-grown immature children!_"

Akane could see Ranma huff and turn his back on both the fuming Ryouga and Ukyou. She could see his face now, and he wasn't happy. Akane ducked behind the large tree even more; her heart thundered in her chest as she kept staring at Ranma. She hated to spy on people, especially if she got caught, but now she really wanted to know what the 'serious situation' truly was.

Ukyou rubbed her temples once more. "Look, guys. Maybe we should continue this conversation some other time. Obviously, you two aren't _mature_ enough yet."

Ryouga growled at Ukyou. Akane gasped as she heard the sound. _'Did he just…?' _For reasons unknown, Akane quickly looked in the direction where Mr. Tanaka was standing, or rather…where he was _supposed_ to be standing.

"Spying isn't polite, Akane Tendou." She whipped her head around so hard; she swore she could have cracked it.

"Mr. T-Tanaka!" Akane exclaimed, very surprised. A million things went through her mind at that moment as she stared up at her teachers face. How did her teacher get to her so fast? Why was he there in the first place? Why didn't she feel his presence when he came up from behind her? And how didn't Ranma, who was facing her direction, see Mr. Tanaka walk over to where Akane was standing?

What was going on??

Akane quickly looked over at the angry duo once more, but they didn't seem to feel hers, or Mr. Tanaka's, presences.

Mr. Tanaka seemed to have read her mind and he smiled at her. "Don't worry, Akane Tendou. They are just too caught up in their…_'discussion'_…to even notice us here."

"Uhh…what are…you doing here?" was all Akane could say.

Mr. Tanaka chuckled. "I just thought it would be a nice day to take a walk. But then I came across these three, who were fighting when I arrived, so I stood by, making sure they didn't get themselves into…_trouble_."

Akane took a deep breath and narrowed her eyes at him. "But weren't you spying on them, as well?" She knew she wasn't talking very politely to her teacher, but since she was out of school, she didn't give a crap.

Mr. Tanaka just chuckled, once again. "My dear, I just simply stood by, making sure the fight didn't escalate, is all. It is my duty, as a teacher, to protect my student."

'_To protect…his student?'_ "But we are not in school right now, and Ranma gets into fights all the time. It isn't your duty…"

"But yes it is, Akane Tendou. Ranma is a very…_gifted_…student, and I'd hate to see something…_bad_...happen to him while I'm not there."

A cold shiver ran down Akane's spine as she heard Mr. Tanaka's words. _'Creepy…'_

"Well, what happened with Akane?" Akane heard Ryouga's voice and jumped in surprise, breaking her out of her thoughts. She turned her attention away from Mr. Tanaka and focused on the conversation the duo started to have again. Her heart thundered in her chest. What was she so afraid about?

"I don't really wanna talk about it…" Ranma muttered.

Akane heard an exasperated sigh come from Ukyou's lips, and then she heard yet another growl escape from Ryouga. "This is important, dumbass! Something happened with Akane, and I wanna know about it! She's been having dreams too, you know! Remember what Doctor Tofu said??" Ryouga yelled.

Ranma growled at Ryouga this time, and a wash of fear ran through Akane at the sound of it. _'Ranma just…growled…'_

"It ain't none of your business, idiot!" Ranma growled, once again, at Ryouga.

"But it IS his business," Akane heard Ukyou say. "It's my business, as well. Maybe Akane isn't just having dreams…maybe she truly does have some part in this, just like us! And if what Ryouga says is really true, you know, with the whole reincarnation thing…"

'_Some part in…what??' _Akane thought to herself as she began to sweat from the heat of the sun and her own fear. She peaked out from behind the tree even more, wanting to see what was going on.

There was a pregnant pause. "Fine," mumbled Ranma as he gave up and sat back down in his sitting position. Ranma knew it was a losing battle, and both Ryouga and Ukyou would strangle to get the answers out of him sooner or later.

Akane strained to get closer. She wished she had the guts to march right over there and demand what the hell was going on. She always had done it before…so why couldn't she do it now? Why was she holding back?

"Did any of you feel…a dark presence the other day?" Ranma asked to both Ryouga and Ukyou seriously after another pregnant pause. Another shiver went down Akane's spine when she heard his voice and saw his troubled face.

She saw Ryouga and Ukyou look at eachother. "A dark presence?" Ryouga and Ukyou asked, dumbfounded, at the same time.

"Yah," muttered Ranma.

Both Ryouga and Ukyou shook their heads. "No, I haven't felt anything..." Ukyou murmured. She looked at Ryouga. "No, I haven't felt anything either," he stated, answering her questionable eyes.

Ranma groaned. '_How could Akari have sensed it and not those two idiots…??' _Ranma thought to himself, angrily.

He didn't want to bring Akari into this discussion. For some reason, he didn't want to talk about her to Ryouga. And just by bringing Akari up and see Ryouga get all starry-eyed thinking about her made Ranma furious.

Why was Ranma feeling this way?

"Well, I just think my visions are stupid and nothing important…but something happened to Akane," Ranma started. "Something happened at school…and I needed to talk to her about something…so I took her to the roof of the Tendou Dojo to get some privacy…" Ranma wanted to keep the tiny details to himself, about why he took her there, and so on and so forth. He wasn't ready to discuss much of anything to these two loonies.

"I am not sure what happened next, but Akane got angry with me. She told me I was in a dream of hers, and then all of a sudden…she changed…almost exactly the same way Ukyou did a few moments ago..."

Ukyou blushed and bowed her head in shame, but both she and Ryouga still kept their mouths shut and patiently waited for Ranma to continue. When Ranma was silent for a few more moments, Ryouga was about to open his mouth and make Ranma spit it out, but Ukyou stopped Ryouga by putting a hand on his shoulder while shaking her head 'no'.

"I can't really describe it," Ranma finally started up again. "But there was an evil voice…as if…it were controlling Akane…" This grabbed everyone's attentions; especially Akane's.

'_What!?'_ Akane couldn't believe what she just heard.

"She changed so drastically…her whole appearance changed…"

"A _voice_!?" Ryouga yelled. "What kind of a _voice_!? Couldn't you see it!?"

Ranma sighed. "I couldn't see anything, except that the area around us changed…as if we were thrown into a different dimension…"

"Are you fucking serious!!??" Ryouga bellowed. "Akane could have gotten hurt, and you couldn't see where this _voice _was coming from!? How were you supposed to protect her!!??"

Ranma started to lose his patience. "This is exactly why I didn't want to bring her into this conversation…"

"Are you fucking mad!!??" Ryouga bellowed, once again. "Akane was in serious danger!!"

"_WILL YOU SHUT THE HELL UP!!"_ Ranma screamed. "What was I supposed to do!? Akane's whole fucking appearance changed!! The area around us changed!! I tried to look for the source of the voice, but there was nothing there!! What did you expect me to do, Ryouga!? _WHAT THE FUCK WAS I SUPPOSED TO DO!!??_"

Ryouga, Ukyou, and Akane were taken a back. Not once…_**NOT ONCE**_...have they heard Ranma say the _'f'_ word.

Akane, though, was more surprised by what she just heard. _'I thought he said I was sick!!' _Akane started to get angry. Why did Ranma lie to her? What happened that day? Why couldn't she remember any of this? So many questions went through Akane's mind, and she got angrier with Ranma by the second.

Ranma abruptly stood up. "You know what?? I don't care about this anymore. I don't care about you two anymore, either. Do what ever the hell you like! Just don't try to drag me into this, from now on! They're just idiotic dreams! Nothing else!! These dreams don't prove anything!!"

"Wait, Ranma-Chan! Please, don't go!!" Ukyou cried out when Ranma started to walk away. "You asshole!" she yelled at Ryouga. "Apologize to him right now! Nothing bad happened to Akane, so why are you treating him this way!?"

Ryouga abruptly got to his feet and angrily shouted at Ukyou. "Why should I apologize to that idiot!? I didn't do anything but state the facts!! He was being too careless, and he put Akane's life in danger! If _**I**_ were there, _**I**_ would have--"

Ryouga's mouth was immediately shut by a fist slamming into his face. Ryouga's body flew back and straight into another tree with so much force that the tree broke in two and fell to the ground with a loud roar.

No one knew who threw the punch until they saw Ranma tower over Ryouga's body menacingly. Ranma was that fast…no one could see it coming…

And no one…_**NO ONE**_…ever saw Ranma _this_ angry.

When Ryouga finally got about his wits, he gingerly stood up and wiped away at the blood that protruded from his nose and forehead. He faced Ranma and spat some blood from his mouth.

Now Ryouga was extremely pissed off.

Akane, from behind the tree, was shocked. As Ranma towered over Ryouga, his aura flared wildly. It was a very, **VERY**, dark red. Ranma stood over Ryouga in way to show that he was boss; that he was the dominant male. And Ranma _NEVER_ threw the first punch. Akane shuddered.

Ranma cracked his knuckles menacingly as Ryouga got into a fighting stance.

"Stop it, you two!" Ukyou shouted as she ran in between the angry males. "Ryouga, you are a jackass! Nothing was Ranma's fault! _**Now apologize!**_"

Ryouga didn't even acknowledge Ukyou. All his instincts were focused on Ranma. But Ranma seemed to have snapped out of his stupor and he looked at Ukyou.

"It's alright, U-Chan," Ranma said, and he completely dropped his defenses. "Ryouga is right…it was my fault. I should have felt something there…I should have located the source…"

"Ran-Chan…" Ukyou murmured, sadly. She walked over and placed a comforting hand on Ranma's shoulder. "Ryouga is just being Ryouga. Ignore him like you always do. Akane is fine, Ranma. You protected her--"

Ranma jumped away from Ukyou angrily. "**NO! I didn't protect her! How could I have?? **There was nothing I could have done! I was slowly losing my mind when I was in this…_dimension_ or…**WHATEVER!!** I was losing all sense of reality, and there was no way I could have located the source of the voice, since it was all around me!! **Something was controlling Akane and I couldn't stop it!!**"

"Ranma…" Ukyou said sadly as she took another step towards Ranma, once again. "Ranma, don't say things like that. That's not true--"

Ranma squeezed his eyes shut in frustration. "Don't you fucking get it, Ukyou!?!? IF _**AKARI**_HADN'T BEEN THERE, _**AKANE**_ WOULD HAVE KILLED ME!!!!"

There was a long pause. A **VERY** long pause.

Ryouga and Ukyou couldn't speak. They were in complete shock, and so was Ranma, once he finally realized what he had just shouted out. Ranma couldn't move a muscle, nor could he hardly breathe. _'Did I just…?'_

Ranma wanted to kick himself. He didn't mean to say it...it just slipped out…but then again, Ranma knew he would have had to tell them the truth, sooner or later. Ranma stood up straighter and folded his arms across his chest in defiance, as if to prove a point.

Behind the massive large tree, just a few yards away, Akane stopped breathing. Her mind stopped working, and she could have sworn her heart skipped many beats. She could see her vision start to cloud over and become darker. What was this feeling?

'_**Don't you see, Akane?'**_ A voice spoke to her from behind her, almost startling her out of whatever trance she went into. Akane slowly looked over her shoulder, but Mr. Tanaka was nowhere in sight now.

"Mr. Tanaka…?" Akane gasped, but there was no response but a slight, sickening laugh.

"Who…who are you?" Akane could barely whisper out, knowing now that the evil laughter was not Mr. Tanaka. But strangely, she did not feel any fear at the moment. Her whole body felt extremely numb, and she finally realized she was in an extreme level of shock.

'_**Who am I?'**_ the dark voice chuckled. _**'Why, Akane, you very well know who I am. And you very well know who that boy is over there.'**_

Akane was confused. She looked around the park wildly, finally snapping out of her shock-like state. She tried to locate the source of this voice but she found nothing.

'_Where did Mr. Tanaka go…?'_ she thought blindly to herself. Something dark started to churn inside her but she fought it back.

"What the hell did you say!?" Ryouga growled out from between his clenched teeth.

Akane quickly looked over to the duo at the sound of Ryouga's voice, snapping herself more out of the shock she had witnessed a moment ago. At first, the alien feeling subsided inside of Akane…until she looked at the duo a few yards away from her…

Akane gasped at the sight of them. The scenery suddenly started to change around her and the duo…a dark power engulfed them, and Ranma, Ryouga, and Ukyou seemed to be oblivious to this. The dark power started to rise up in Akane again, and she nearly keeled over in pain.

"Akari had something to do with this??" Ukyou asked stunned to the stoic-faced Ranma.

'_**Do you know who they are, my dear Akane?'**_ the voice said in a calm matter; its voice seemingly drowning out the bickering duo's voices in front of her. Akane whipped her head around again, but there was nothing there. More dark power started to surround her and the duo, and she could see the park before her start to flicker away. The scenery was changing more now, and her heart beat quickened rapidly in fear.

"Who are you!?" Akane shouted out as she started to sweat. "Show yourself!"

'_**You know who I am, Akane. In do time, you will remember,'**_ the voice laughed. Akane expected for Ranma to have heard her shout and run to her rescue, but surprisingly…it was if he and the others haven't heard her…

"**Ranma!!"** she screamed out to him, but he still continued to ignore her. He kept talking with Ukyou and Ryouga; oblivious to the danger.

'_**He cannot hear you, Akane. Neither can the other two,'**_ the voice laughed, once again. _**'You are all but invisible to them. It's not like he cares about you or anything, anyway…'**_

"**Shut up!"** Akane screamed. "Who are you and what do you want!!?? **RANMA!!**"

'_**I told you, he will not come,'**_ the voice said, but more angrily this time. _**'Now, it is time to play your part…'**_

'_My…part!?'_ Akane thought, fearfully.

'_**Look over at them, Akane,'**_ the voice beckoned. _**'What do you see?'**_

At first, Akane didn't comply. But suddenly, out of nowhere, dark hands grabbed at her body and forced her to face the others. She tightly shut her eyes, not wanting to give in to this intruders demand. But, it wasn't just about giving into this dark presence. For some odd reason…she couldn't make herself look at Ranma. It was if…Akane knew that if she looked at Ranma, something terrible would happen.

'**Don't look!'** There was another voice now…a deep voice that was held deep within Akane's self-consciousness. Akane gasped out as she heard this voice, a voice so much like her own…but so alien to her at the same time. She almost opened her eyes until the voice shouted, **'Do not open your eyes! Do not give into to its demands! Whatever you do, **_**you must not open your eyes!!**_**'**

'_Wha??'_ Akane thought to herself, but she obediently complied and kept her eyes shut. The dark presence roared angrily, as if it could hear the other voice, as well.

'_**Look, Akane!' **_the dark power roared at her while it tightened its hold painfully on her body. _**'LOOK AT THE SIGHT BEFORE YOU!!'**_

'**You must not!' **the other voice demanded. **'Do not give in! No matter what it says, **_**you must not open your eyes!!**_**'**

As the two voices battled within her, Akane could feel herself start to break. She tried to twist of the dark voices invisible grasp, but it was of no use. The dark power shook her violently: It tried to make her open her eyes desperately, but Akane wouldn't give in…tried not to give in.

'_Ranma…'_ she cried desperately to herself. She wanted to scream to him again, but the darkness tightly held her throat, cutting off her air circulation. Tears started to protrude from her eyes, knowing Ranma wasn't going to come and save her.

'_**That's right, Akane,'**_ the dark voice said. _**'He is not coming to save you. He never will. You are just a nuisance to him; another fiancée to get rid of. Nothing more. He doesn't love you, and he never will. Just like before, my dear sweet Akane, he does not love you. He will always pick that mere imitation instead of you.'**_

'_Mere…imitation…?'_ Akane could feel her world start to grow darker, and her head started to swim with the lack of oxygen. But suddenly, at the dark presences words, she felt an anger start to boil up from deep within her. She started to picture Ranma with another woman…a woman who she knew, yet who she didn't know. A woman who strangely looked like…

Akari…

'**No!'** the deep voice commanded. **'You must not listen to it! **_**You must not listen to it!**_**'**

It was too late. The anger already started to boil to the surface, and Akane could feel herself losing to this dark power.

'_**Yes…that's it, Akane,'**_ the dark voice said, soothingly_**. 'Let all your rage go. Remember how he betrayed you, how he deceived you…and how he KILLED you…'**_

Pictures started to flood Akane's mind as the darkness talked to her; showing her memories of things she did not remember. Akane saw, inside her mind, a beautiful jewel…and a deep depression washed over her at the sight of it. This jewel was a burden to her…sadness and fear lingered within Akane's heart as she carried it. She couldn't be a normal woman because of that wretched jewel. The only path that was left for her now was that of bloodshed and death…

Then the scene changed. Akane was suddenly sitting on a hill, overlooking the picturesque scenery before her, while feeling a wash of peace and calm flow through her. She then knew she wasn't alone. She was sitting next to someone who she despised yet liked at the same time…but when Akane tried to look at this man, he was all blurry, and she couldn't make out his form.

Suddenly, she was on a dock…she tripped…but instead of facing the hard-cold wood, she fell into this man's arms. She knew it was the same man that was sitting next to her on the hill. Again, as she looked up at him, his face was blurry, and she couldn't make out anything. But Akane then knew that she kissed him, and she felt this wonderful feeling of love flower in her chest when he kissed her back and held her more tightly against his chest.

But all of a sudden…she was in a field…and she was attacked from behind. She fell to the ground…Akane could feel the pain protruding from her own back…she could feel the blood flow from the wound on her right shoulder. But then she saw her own hand reach out and try to grab at the shiny jewel…until suddenly; a foot came crashing down on hers. Akane cried out in pain; her right hand easily broken.

A voice was speaking to her suddenly. It crouched down and took the jewel she knew she was bound to protect out of her hands broken grasp. Who was this man? How could he have attacked her? Why was he doing this?

Until suddenly…she could see his face…

A silver-haired man with brilliant amber eyes stared down at her…hatefully. An evil grin was etched onto his face…her own blood on his clawed fingertips.

He was saying something to her, but Akane couldn't make it out. But suddenly, when he was about to walk away…something about him seemed familiar…

'_**That is right, Akane,'**_ the dark voice came back as the strange haired man turned his back on her. _**'Remember every insult…every tear. Remember what he stole from you. Remember what he did to you. Let that hate flow into your every being. Together, we can destroy him. I will give you power beyond your wildest dreams! You can be free and never have to face this memory, ever again!'**_

Akane didn't know what this dark voice was talking about…even though she couldn't stop the feeling of betrayal wash over her.

Then suddenly, it hit her.

The man who attacked her stopped walking and turned half-way around to stare at her, once again. Akane finally understood that this was the same man she fell in love with…who she had kissed on the dock…who had promised to become human for her, and live the rest of their lives together...

This man was a half-demon. An evil, deceiving half-demon. A dirty half-breed. A liar. He toyed with her emotions; toyed with her heart. He found her only weakness and used it. He broke her. He used her. He destroyed her

All for one lousy jewel…

She shot her head up and glared at this man. She hated him. _She hated him!!_ She wanted to get revenge and destroy him. She wanted to take away his only goal; his dream…of becoming a full demon…

She wrapped herself around this diamond that folded itself around her heart. She welcomed the hatred and darkness with open arms, and she cradled it, ever so preciously, against her chest. She would not cry for him. She would die in this ever-darkening bliss, and he would be left to rot.

She would not follow him into death. She would not see him in hell. Let this darkness take over her mind…let it play with her…destroy her…but not until she had destroyed him…

From something far worse than death or hell itself.

'_**Yes, Akane…'**_ the dark voice said. _**'Let this hatred flow into your heart. Let this darkness carry you. Do not fret, my dear, for he will be eliminated. You will finally be set free from your torment, and you will finally be able to rest forever.'**_

'_Yes…' _Akane thought to herself as she stared up at this half-demon loathingly. She tried to stand, but it was useless. She was held down by something, and then she remembered the wound that was inflicted upon her. She scowled as she saw the red liquid ooze from her shoulder wound.

'_**Now, dear Akane,'**_ the dark voice said, soothingly. _**'Open your eyes, Akane. Remember who you once were. Remember what he had done to you. You are powerful, but not powerful enough. Open your heart and soul fully to me, and by doing so, you will be able to unleash powers beyond your wildest dreams! Just open your eyes Akane, and face the man before you. Face the man who killed you; who took everything from you!! Remember his name, Akane…remember his name…'**_

'_Yes…' _Akane thought to herself, once again. At first she was confused, though. Weren't her eyes open? She could see, clear as day. But then she finally remembered that this was a dream…a memory inside of her head…

She was about to open her eyes…

'**No!'** the other voice commanded, almost startling Akane. **'No! You must not listen to him! He is deceiving you! Whatever you do, do not open your eyes! And do not utter his name!'**

'_His…name?'_ Akane thought to herself. _'What name? Who's name?'_

Akane was thrown back into her thoughts. The half-demon in front of her still stood before her, smiling devilishly as he held the jewel in his bloodied hand. "What's the matter, _Kikyou_?" he spoke. "Can't speak? I cannot possibly believe you are that weak…but it was to be expected. It was so easy to manipulate your heart! It was like drowning children…_but it was much more fun_!!"

The name struck Akane, full force, inside of her head. Yes…she is Kikyou. Her name _was once_ Kikyou…a powerful Miko who once protected this jewel that he now held, corrupted, within his bloody palm. But as she looked at this half-demon's face, something nagged at her…

What was his name?

He reminded her of somebody she once knew…who she knew in the back of her swarming thoughts.

Suddenly, the man's appearance before her changed. His silver hair grew shorter and turned darker. His amber eyes slowly turned to blue.

She still couldn't recognize this man now, though he seemed oddly familiar to her. But that all changed once she noticed the pigtail…

"_Ran…ma?_" she gasped, not believing her eyes for a second. This man couldn't be Ranma! He still had her blood on his hands…he still smiled wickedly down at her…he still held the corrupted jewel in his grasp…the jewel she was bound to protect…

And he took it from her, without mercy. He played with her heart. He used her. Then he broke her.

'_No…this is wrong! Ranma would never do such a thing!'_ But as Akane watched this man, his appearance started to change back into the silver-haired demon…then back into Ranma's form…then back again…

She couldn't believe her eyes. This silver-haired demon was Ranma!!

'_**Do you see it now, Akane?'**_ the dark voice whispered in her ear. _**'Do you understand now? That was him, once, in a past life...500 years ago. He destroyed you and claimed you then, so that for all your lives to come, he can do it again…over and over again. He bound you to him, so you would never be able to escape him, even in death…**_

'_**But that can all change, my dear Akane. Just open your eyes and see him before you. Let all the rage flow into your heart, and then unleash it upon him, tenfold! Let him feel the pain you carry now! Destroy him like he once destroyed you! Destroy him now! In doing so, you will never have to receive this pain and torment again! All you have to do…**_

_**Is remember his name…'**_

The other voice, the deep voice that Akane was hearing moments ago, was nearly gone now. She could hear it, far back in her consciousness, but she very easily was able to block it out. All she wanted to hear was this dark voice; this dark voice which gave her power beyond her wildest dreams! She believed in this dark voice with her whole heart.

Ranma had deceived her in a past life…and he was going to do it again.

'_How could you!?'_ she thought angrily to herself, desperately wanting to cry. _'How could you have done this to me!? Why!!??'_

"_Traitor…_" she spat out as her world started to grow darker. "_You traitor…you deceiver…liar…_

"_**TRAITOR!!!!!!!"**_ Akane screamed, at the top of her lungs. The dark voice laughed maliciously, while the deep voice screamed in agony. The deep voice tried to call to her, to tell her it was all farce, but Akane blocked it out, once again. Nothing could keep her from opening her eyes…

'_**That's it, Akane!!'**_ the dark voice roared, victoriously. _**'Open your eyes and scream out his name with all your strength! Do it, Akane! Open your eyes! Look at the man before you and call out his wretched name! By doing so, he will suffer and fall to his knees! Give to him what he had given to you! Take away everything he had taken away from you! Do it, Akane! Awaken!!'**_

And that she did.

'**No, Akane…no…'**

"_**INU-YASHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!"**_


	13. Chapter 13: The Dark Miko

**Author's Note:**

* * *

**_I know this chapter is a little short, but I am going through some...technical difficulties...at the moment. But I'll try to make it up to all of you with the next chapter. So for now, happy reading!! And also, I thank you for all the wonderful reviews!!_**

**_Sincerely,_**

**_Howl Angelline Belladonna_**

* * *

**Chapter 13**

* * *

"_**TRAITOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"**_

A voice could be heard, filled with pain…hate…and rage. Ranma, Ukyou, and Ryouga instantly stopped their bickering and froze. At first, they didn't know what to think of the cry. But suddenly, their world was thrown into the darkness as they felt an evil aura slowly creep up at them.

Ranma, Ukyou, and Ryouga turned around slowly as this deep, dark chill ran up their spines. And what all three of them saw…

Was their worst nightmare.

A woman shrouded in darkness stood before them. A dark, purple aura surrounded her lithe form, and her eyes were shut tightly. But even with her eyes closed, she stood before Ranma and the others in all her glory as the darkness emitted from her body and surrounded the area they all stood in.

At first, Ranma couldn't identify this woman; this creature. Black arms held her form in place, and then he instantly knew something was wrong. Something nagged at Ranma from the back of his mind as he stood, dumbfounded, before this strange woman.

Suddenly, the darkness slowly crept away from her body. Ranma, Ukyou, and Ryouga gasped in pure shock and horror as they saw who it was now that stood before them in a heavy mist of hatred and evil.

"A-Akane…"

Before Ranma could get his wits about him, Akane's eyes opened. Her eyes seemed to be clouded with some sort of red haze as she stared at Ranma with such a hate. Ranma took an involuntary step backwards. Her mouth opened wide then and she screamed…

"_**INU-YASHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"**_

No one knew what to expect…until Ranma suddenly fell to the ground and writhed in pain; screaming and roaring in agony. At first, Ryouga and Ukyou were rooted to the spot, too much in shock to do anything else. But once Ranma's cry reached their ears, they instantly moved to his side.

"Ranma-Chan!!" Ukyou screamed as she knelt down by Ranma's side as he writhed on the grass.

Ryouga stood in front of Ranma in defense, facing Akane. "Akane!! Wha--?"

"_Get out of the way, __**wolf,**_" Akane hissed in a voice so un-like her own.

Suddenly, Ryouga's whole form shook. His heart sped up to an unnatural rate and he instantly fell to his knees, clutching at his chest. Ryouga started to sweat as he tried to fight against the pain that ran through his body.

"I…I truly…remember now…I remember everything…" Ryouga smirked as the pain shook through his body. He fought against the excruciating spasms as he rose to his feet unsteadily.

"Akane, snap put of it! This isn't you!" Ryouga screamed at her. He ran towards her but failed miserably when he tried to get her within his grasp. His legs gave out from under him and Akane was too fast for him to capture.

"_**Don't get in my way,**_" Akane said, coldly. She stepped over Ryouga's shaking form to stand above Ukyou and Ranma.

"_You…who are you?_" Akane asked Ukyou with fury. Ukyou looked up at Akane quizzically.

"Akane, what has gotten into you!?" Ukyou screamed out while she clutched at Ranma's prone form. "Snap out of it!"

Akane took a step forward. "_Yes…I remember you now. You are one of __**his**__ traveling companions, are you not?_"

"T-Traveling companions??" Ukyou asked, stupefied.

"_**The Demon Slayer…**_" Akane said, under her breath. Then she chuckled darkly. "_A Demon Slayer, traveling with a Demon--no…a __**Half-Demon**__, no less."_

"Wha?" Ukyou didn't know what to think of the situation. She quickly grabbed her giant spatula and held it in front of both herself and Ranma for defense.

"Akane, I don't know what you are babbling on about, but stop it!" Ukyou screamed.

"_You will die for aiding __**him**__, Demon Slayer,_" Akane smirked evilly.

"Gotcha!!" a voice could be heard from behind Akane's form. Akane immediately stepped out of the way as a charging Ryouga came up from behind her. Instead of grabbing Akane like he first intended to, he charged himself right into Ukyou by accident. With a cry, Ryouga and Ukyou tumbled into the grass until they skidded to a stop a few yards away.

"You idiot!!" Ukyou yelled at Ryouga while she bonked him over the head with her giant spatula. "Moron!! Imbecile!!"

"Fuck, Ukyou!! Knock it off!!" Ryouga screamed at her while he gripped her giant spatula to stop her abuse on him.

"_So you __**do**__ know each other then…_" Akane said, un-amused, as she stood over Ranma's body. "_Then you both will die, along with this disgusting __**Half-Breed**_"

"What??" Ukyou gasped. "Ryouga, what the hell is going on!?"

"Don't you see it, Ukyou?" Ryouga said calmly. "Don't you remember?"

Ukyou was silent.

All of a sudden, before Ryouga could say more to Ukyou, a dark aura emitted the whole entire area around all four of them, once more. But this time, it completely engulfed all of them in this aura, until suddenly…

**A pulse…and then another one…**

Suddenly, the darkness seemed to melt away into the area around them. Ryouga and Ukyou looked on in shock as the darkness slowly started to change the scenery before them. At first, when the darkness completely disappeared after a few moments, Ryouga and Ukyou thought that it was over…that whatever evil was just there was now gone…

Until they saw there was no town before them.

Nerima had disappeared.

"_What the hell!?_" Ukyou cried as she stood up shakily and looked around. The park was completely gone. She now stood in a clearing with tall grass and wild flowers at her feet. Many trees could be seen, far as the eye could see, way out of the clearing…

Something was DEFINETLY wrong here!

"Ryouga—" but before Ukyou could say more, she gasped in horror and fell on her butt, because whoever stood before her now was definitely NOT Ryouga.

A man with long black hair tied in a ponytail with piercing ice-blue eyes stared down at her. His ears were pointed, almost like an elf's, and he wore strange clothing that resembled fur. And was that a tail on his butt!?

"_Wha!? Wha!? Wha!?_" Ukyou instantly scrambled away from the stranger that stood before her. She blindly looked for her giant spatula with her hand, never taking her eyes off of this strange male. _'Where the hell did I drop my weapon!?' _Ukyou thought to herself, frantically.

"What, in all blazing hells, has gotten into you!?" the man barked down at Ukyou angrily as she still scrambled away from him. Ukyou finally grasped something within her hand and she brought up in defense—only finally realizing that now what she grasped was NOT her giant spatula…

It was a HUGE fucking BOOMERANG!!

"Wha!?" Ukyou immediately dropped the weird device and jumped to her feet. She then looked wildly around her until she finally set her eyes on the strange woman, only a few yards away from her.

"A-Akane…?" Ukyou muttered out, in disbelief. No…that woman wasn't Akane. The strange woman had long black hair and piercing brown eyes, instead of the short black hair and piercing dark-blue eyes Akane had. She wore some type of kimono…and instantly a thought came to Ukyou's mind.

'_A…Priestess…'_

"Miko…" Ukyou was surprised she had said anything. She quickly put her hands to her mouth to shut herself up.

The strange Priestess heard Ukyou and returned her hard gaze.

"Yes, I was _once_ a Miko," the woman said, darkly. "A Priestess who protected the Shikon No Tama…the Jewel of Four Souls."

'_Jewel of Four Souls…?'_ Ukyou thought to herself. _'Why does that…sound so familiar?'_

"The Jewel of Four…WHAT!?" Ukyou asked the strange woman. Before she asked more, Ukyou suddenly remembered the situation she was in. "Wait a second…who the FUCK are YOU!? And where the hell am I!?"

"Shut the fuck up, Ukyou!" a voice to her right could be heard. Ukyou looked at the strange male who had elf ears with wide-eyes.

"And who the HELL are YOU!?" Ukyou screamed out once she got her wits about her. She pointed a finger at him accusingly as she screamed.

"I _am_ Ryouga, _bitch!_ Who else!? Don't go all crazy on me now!"

"Ry…_Ryouga!?_" Ukyou couldn't believe it. She WOULDN'T believe it. His voice was almost completely different!!

"Of course I am Ryouga!!" the male screamed back at her while he also pointed a finger at her.

For some reason, unknown to her, Ukyou believed him now. She could see, within this strange man's eyes, he certainly _was_ Ryouga.

"_Oh my gods…_" Ukyou sucked in a sharp breath as she looked at the now transformed Ryouga. "Ryouga…_**what's happened to you!?**_"

Before anything else could happen, a swirl of power filled the area. The now transformed Ryouga and Ukyou looked in shock as the power came from the dark Miko. She raised her hands and the dark purple power became even greater.

"After I am done with this wretched **_Half-Breed_**, you _both_ are _next_," the dark Priestess hissed at the duo. Then she raised her arms even higher…and the duo, realizing too late, watched in horror as the dark Miko brought her hands down, along with the dark power…

Which was about to strike Ranma's body…


	14. Chapter 14: Darkness

**Author's Note:

* * *

**

_If you have read my LiveJournal, then you should know that I probably won't be able to update any of my stories for a while (though I will still try very hard to do so). I am joining this...thing...over the Internet, where I am writing a 50,000 (and more) word novel. This takes place from Nov. 1st to the 30th. Thousands of people do it, and it is a lot of fun!_

_If you are interested in doing what I am about to do, just go to my Profile on this site. I'll have the website posted up on there (but do it quickly, or you'll be too late. The contest starts in just two days)!_

_Anyway, I hope you enjoy the 14th Chapter of "Ranma: Evolution"! I know the chapter is a little short, but I do hope that you truly enjoy this chapter anyway. Reviews are very much accepted, as well as criticsm. I would love to see what you all think of this Fanfic so far._

_Sincerely,_

_Howl Angelline Belladonna_**

* * *

**

**Chapter 14**

* * *

It was if all time had stopped and became frozen. 

Ranma had disappeared.

"Ran…_Ranma_??" Ukyou called out, worriedly. Where was he? Where did he go? Did that Dark Miko actually destroy him?

Ukyou couldn't hold back the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes. She was incensed and horrified.

"_**How could you!?"**_ Ukyou screamed at the Dark Priestess. For reasons, unknown to her, Ukyou picked up the freakishly large boomerang and threw it at the Dark Miko in pure rage.

It seemed that the Dark Priestess was befuddled and lost in her thoughts for a moment, but only for a moment, until she finally realized that she was under attack. She dodged, jumping out of the way of danger just in time.

Ukyou stared in horror as the large boomerang missed its target and circled, coming right back at her. How could she catch a thing like _that_!? But, for unknown reasons again, the weapon at that moment seemed familiar to her. It was like…a treasure, and she felt that someone she had loved once, dearly, had given it to her when she was young…many, _many_ years ago…

She held up her small hand and caught the large boomerang, as if she had done it all of her life.

It was heavy, but it truly felt familiar to her. Ukyou loved the feel of the boomerang; the weight of it against her body. It seemed that her muscles stretched and worked in glee; so happy to have the old weapon back.

_It has been too long…_

Ukyou tried again, loving the feel of the giant weapon within her grasp. She threw the boomerang with all of her strength at the Dark Miko, and it soared through the air, as if cutting it, and it ripped up the grass and dirt of the meadow with a thunderous roar.

Again, the Dark Priestess dodged it, and again, the giant boomerang circled around and came right back at Ukyou. But when Ukyou caught it this time, it didn't seem so heavy anymore…

She could feel a change…deep inside of herself. It was the strangest feeling, but it felt wonderful to her. It gave her power…independence…and freedom. She felt so strong…stronger then she had ever felt before!

"_Sangou_, pay attention!!" a voice cried out in the distance. Ukyou was immediately snapped out of her thoughts as the now transformed Ryouga tackled her to the ground; moving her out of the way of the oncoming arrow from the Dark Priestess.

"_Kouga_, what the hell--!?"

The two stared at each other in shock.

Then there was silence…

* * *

Darkness surrounded his form. He tried to rise to his knees, but he was too weak. Finally, after many unsuccessful tries, he was able to sit up. 

Groggily, he looked around the vast darkness. _'Where am I?'_ he thought to himself weakly. He tried to speak, but he could not. He was too weak…too exhausted and weary….

Suddenly, a flash of light came into the dark abyss. He wanted to prepare himself, to get into a fighting stance, but he could barely raise his arms. He was completely drained from all of his strength.

And for the first time in his life, he felt truly defenseless.

He should have felt scared. Frightened, even. But he was just too tired…

A figure appeared before him then, from the flash of light. It was strange how he could see this stranger who was wrapped in a black cloak so easily, while the area around him was shrouded in darkness. He groggily looked down at his hands. He could see his hands, his clothes…

What kind of darkness was this?

He looked up at the stranger than. He tried to see his face, but it was covered with a dark hood that seemed almost menacing looking. _'Who are you?'_ he wanted to ask, but his voice was lost.

'**I am the one who dwells within.'**

A voice…in his head…

'_What…?'_

'**You must not fight it.'**

'_Who…who are you?'_

There was a pregnant pause.

'_Answer me, dammit…who are you…?'_ So tired…so weak…

'**That is the wrong question to ask me, fool.'**

'_Wha…?'_

'**It is not who **_**I **_**am, but who **_**you**_** are.'**

'_Who…__**I**__ am?'_

'**Precisely. **_**Who are you?**_**'**

There was another pregnant pause.

'_Ra…Ranma…'_ Had he forgotten his own name for a moment there?

'_I am Ranma. Ranma Saotome…'_ The memories flooded back into him again, but ever so painfully.

He clutched at his head as the memories flooded forth, into his mind. After a few moments the pain slowly subsided, leaving behind a dull, yet pounding pulse in his head.

What just happened there? Why had he forgotten everything…and everyone?

Where was he? How did he get here? Why did he feel like something was missing…that the people he cared about most are in danger? Why wasn't he there protecting them?

What happened before he came here?

'**You refuse to remember, so it has cost you dearly.'**

Ranma still felt extremely weak and defenseless. He wanted to shout at this stranger and demand answers, but he still could not. But he _could _with his head…

'_Where the fuck am I!? Answer me, dammit!' _

'**You know where you are.'**

'_Stop with the mind games, bastard! Answer me!'_

'**Your friends now know who they _truly_ are. But right now, they are in terrible danger.'**

Ranma's eyes grew wide. _'What did you just say??'_

'**She gave into the darkness, and if you don't do something about it now, you will lose her, idiot.'**

Ranma knew exactly who he was talking about then.

'_**Akane!!'**_


	15. Chapter 15

_**IMPORTANT NOTE**__**: **_**I AM CREATING A NEW ACCOUNT ON THIS SITE! ALL OF MY STORIES WILL BE DELETED ON THIS ACCOUNT AND WILL BE RE-WRITTEN ON THE NEW ACCOUNT! THIS CHANGE WILL HAPPEN SOON, ALONG WITH A NEW E-MAIL ADDRESS AND USER/PENNAME. I WILL INFORM YOU OF MY NEW USERNAME/PENNAME ONCE I'VE CREATED IT. IF YOU WISH FOR A FANFIC TO BE CONTINUED, YOU WILL HAVE TO REVIEW MY STORY(S) TO LET ME KNOW TO CONTINUE IT, FOR I MAY DELETE IT FOREVER AND NOT RE-WRITE IT! I WILL, THOUGH, CONTINUE TO WRITE/RE-WRITE **_**RANMA: EVOLUTION**_**, BUT I AM CHANGING THE TITLE, SINCE PEOPLE ARE GETTING IT MIXED UP WITH **_**X-MEN: EVOLUTION**_**. THANK YOU.**

It has been a very long time since I have been on here. I apologize to my readers that I haven't updated. Around March of this year, I no longer could afford the Internet for the longest of time, and I apologize again. But finally, I have the money to afford the Internet, and I hope to start writing again soon. I will continue to edit (or actually rewrite) my Fanfictions once I have the time, and I am sorry again for not editing them sooner when I could have. For a long while I have been going through a life crisis, but that is over now, and reading the many reviews I have recieved from my stories, I am excited to announce that I will, indeed, continue writing.


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